Wednesday, June 13, 2012

California Dreamin'




Thought I'd better pop you all a line or two before you erase me from your memory! There are about sixteen feeble attempts on my dashboard. Blogger dignifies them with the title "Drafts!" Hmm.....

So I thought " Drafts be damned! I'll just pretend I'm writing a letter!" Part of the "draft" problem is that there is nothing earthshaking or profound going on...... About which I'm certainly not complaining. I've had my fill of "earthshaking," and it's hard to be profound when you're going in five directions at once.

Speaking to the Little Blister on the phone the other day, I asked if she was still writing. It's not as if she has the time or anything, what with teaching yoga, and water aerobics, the recent death of her beloved Larry [R.I.P.] and the care and feeding of the queen in the aftermath. But still, she's good at it, was going to a writing group, but not at the moment, so the short answer was "no." And apart from time, she doesn't have inspiration.

 "Maybe I'll have to start blogging again," quoth she! I'm not holding my breath, but that is a direct quote! Maybe we'll inspire each other, when I see her in a few weeks. 

 There's a strange, white haired, older woman lurking in the mirror these days. I find that, if I pretend not to notice her, I can carry on being thirty five and she can carry on being whatever age she is, and nobody gets hurt..........I'm a year older now than when I last posted. I have reached that venerable age immortalized by the Beatles. God only knows if he "still needs me" but he does "still feed me," and even, once in a while, takes me out for an airing, most recently to California. Since the OC couldn't  be home for my birthday he hatched a plan. We'd meet in Sacramento, hop in a car and drive, drive, drive, north, to visit our California
Girl.

 Last time I saw her was seventeen months ago, so a visit was long overdue.

We accompanied CG on an expedition to the vet one day. And I do mean expedition. It reminded me of when our children were younger. At one time we had a van. It was quite an adventure if all the children had to be rounded up and taken somewhere together! The fact that this time it was a horse trailer, not a mini van hardly matters. The logistics were much the same. The stallion went in first, with longing glances back to the mare in the pasture-----

"Parting is such sweet sorrow!"

But he was a good boy and stood quietly while CG put his socks on.....




But then, Oh joy! She went and brought the mare, who had been whinnying after her man.....




Next into the trailer were her "teenagers" who seemed comfortable with the whole situation since their elders weren't kicking up a fuss!




Here's the vet with his arm buried up to the shoulder, James Herriot -style, inside Maggie, trying to ascertain if there's the beginnings of a foal in there. Sadly there was not.






All the grand-animals got their shots and while the OC helped CG load them into the trailer again, I had time for some random photographs...................This was the scene from the vet's parking lot..............






 The lilies at the top were growing in a ditch at the entrance to the farm where CG boards her horses. Such exquisite perfection growing unheeded in the ditch!

Alongside the lilies was a tangled profusion of wild flowers..........I happily risked falling into the rather wet and messy ditch to bring you this picture...........





 The OC is a restless man, though he would call it  "busy." We can agree to differ on that!  He likes to keep moving, likes to "leave'em begging for more," believes that "fish and visitors stink after a few days......" Well you know all that......

Bottom line: I was not ready to leave after the few days he had planned.

 Wail! "I just got here!"

I was back here before I was fully convinced I'd gone at all. I'd forgotten how beautiful, and vast, California is......

Next time I'm staying 'til I'm kicked out!

California Girl and I even picked out a cottage for our dotage.....but I'll keep that for another post!





















12 comments:

Thimbleanna said...

Ha! The look on that mares face with the vet behind her. "You're WHAT???" Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. And you'll be seeing The Blister! How Fun! Will that be here or there???

StitchinByTheLake said...

Love the picture of the vet - I kind of feel like that at the gynocologists sometimes. :) blessings, marlene

molly said...

Anna---It'll be there, if I don't die of excitement first!

Marlene----Empathy!

dianne said...

i miss you when you are gone ...... and a belated happy birthday to you!

p.s. - i'm glad to hear that he still feeds you...

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday and wishing you many, many happy years and longer trips to California. Looks beautiful out that way. Didn't think California was that "green". Also looking forward to the further adventures of Molly & Blister together again.

Ali Honey said...

Happy Birthday. That woman is at my place too! But she might be 3 years older than the one at your place.
Nothing we can do about it. We are still kicking...if violently.
Write, write, write - we don't mind what about, we love your writing! Never mind if little Blister is dragging the chain. You have the ability to write about almost anything.
( I hate trying to decide what that verification says, but I will keep trying. )

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

I've just cycled back from the library with a CD collection "The Sound Of The West Coast 1965-1979" and found you'd posted this . So now I don't just have The Mamas and The Papas on loudly but all the local sights , too .
And as for whipping up a suitable wardrobe for next week ? Aran weight wool from the skin out is called for .
In fact , the word verification is idersock .... eidersocks would be perfect
Have a marvellous trip !

Gillie said...

Gosh, you are nearly as old as me......happy birthday! So glad to hear from you, I do get nervous when I don't hear from my favourite bloggers. But does that encourage me to post? Apparently not.

persiflage said...

Happy birthday, and looking forward to more and more posts, and hearing all about the Blister sister.

Pam said...

At least your white-haired lady is slim. Unlike my greying one.

Seventeen months!!!!

I'm glad I'm not a vet. Or a mare.

Happy birthday. You've caught up with Mr Life.

brigita said...

YOU posted? maybe i'll have to post as well!! it's been ages after all. glad you were able to visit your CG. I remember when I first moved to California, I was amazed that there were even flowers growing in the middle of the center-divide of the freeways. I've been here long enough that 'it's just oleander' creeps into my head every once in a while but just the other night, while driving home and seeing those huge bushes of light pink, dark pink and white, i said to my husband.. 'i love living in a place where flowers bloom by the freeway'.
happy belated birthday molly!

Julie's Journey said...

You are a woman made of steel - seventeen months without holding daughter in a tight hug. That is cruel and unusual punishment. So glad you had a great time visiting with her and hope any other birthday celebrations were great too.
xxx