HAERR TRIPPIN'

Look Who's 64

I'm celebrating with both sons and their families. Birthday wishes do come true!

It's good to see I haven't lost my sense of style!

I appreciate this quote from Louise Hay, “Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once. Be comfortable with growing older." I'm going to do my best with this concept.

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Tahoe Nature Day with Jenny...

On another perfect Spring day, Jenny and I met up for a long walk. Yes, I'm in my Happy Place.

"The mountains are better when shared with friends."

It's the simple things done with friends that make me the happiest!

"We should all be thankful for those people

who rekindle the inner spirit."

-Albert Schweitzer

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Birthday Month Day #24 in Tahoe

Having returned to my Happy Place, it was ideal that my first day back was spent with Karen. She has a knack of reminding me why I love Tahoe so much!

We began our morning catching up at Cuppa Tahoe.

Needing to get out in it all, we then headed to Taylor Creek.

With hopes of spotting newly awakened bears, none were to be seen. We were disappointed.

What we did witness, in plentiful quantities, was evidence of beavers.

After extinction in the Sierra Nevada by the early 1900s, Castor canadensis were re-introduced to the Tahoe Basin between 1934 and 1949 in order to prevent stream degradation and to promote wetland restoration. Descended from no more than nine individuals from the Snake River in Idaho, these little guys are plentiful and way so cute. For some reason, in the winter of 2014, one beaver ignored the designation of nocturnal and would appear in the afternoon, to the delight of a vast audience who knew his schedule.

This darling image has been taken from my post describing that winter sighting.

With 60°+ temperatures, it felt like late-Spring but the foliage still had the bleak look of a recent winter.

That said, upon closer observation, Spring was discretely appearing. What JOY!

Karen then treated me to lunch at a new-to-me place, Cascade Kitchens. What a perfect return home. JOY, indeed.

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A Detour to Tehachapi

I've been traveling to this little town for 30 years now. It is not just for its quaintness but it is the home of my college friend Leslie (a major part of my life since 1982).

My timing was perfect to catch a matinee performance at the historic Beekay Theatre. How cute is this theatre? The story of the old movie house and its incredible journey is as unlikely and heart-warming as any Hollywood film. It began during the Great Depression when two Tehachapi businessmen, Frank Baumgart and Leo Kanstein, decided to build a movie theater to entertain the local population.

The two entrepreneurs combined the initials of their last names and spelled them out to form the name BeeKay and opened the doors in 1936. Local residents streamed in to watch double features of black-and-white movies and animated shorts. The BeeKay was a hit.

The movie marquis outside was the only neon sign in the valley and people would drive by just to marvel at the lighted sign (if only I could stay out until after dark). The movie theater soon became a landmark of the downtown. The years went by and while other businesses came and went, the BeeKay persisted — the solid building even withstood the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake with very little damage, though most of downtown was destroyed. Like all things, it fell on hard times but has risen through the 'rubble' to become a delightful performing arts venue. What a Tehachapi treasure.

We were there to see The Big Five-Oh!, described by the director as “It’s Dick Van Dyke meets That ’70s Show."

"Whoever said life is better after 50 had better be right! George Thomas is turning 50 on Saturday, and it has been a terrible week. His dog is sick, his son is a slacker, and his daughter wants to marry a Republican. With a neurotic wife and a widowed neighbor providing more challenges than even George can overcome, this may be the worst week of his life. Through these trying days, George will discover the wonders of family, the responsibilities of parenthood, and the results of his latest physical. The Big Five-Oh is a hilarious, sometimes touching account of a grown man coming to terms with his age, his relationship with his son, and his future."

What a fun look at life and what a heartwarming conclusion about what's truly important. With this being Day 22 of my Birthday Month, it seemed a perfect way to celebrate. Bravo to all!

The rest of my time there consisted of many rounds of Scrabble, long walks with Leslie and her dog, and two mornings of amazing sunrises. Leslie's porch is one of my favorite places to be!

Another true Tehachapi treasure is Leslie's mom, Barbara. We spent both days at her home dining on wonderful meals, playing games, and just delighting in each other's company. Ging Hunter wrote, "You should enjoy the little detours. To the fullest. Because that's where you'll find things more important than what you want." Now on to Lake Tahoe!

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A Return to Laguna Beach

On September 12, 1987, Steve and I said our "I do's" in Laguna Beach. With both of our parents gone, my big brother Chuck flew in from Virginia to give me away.

He hasn't returned to Laguna since our wedding so I planned a very fun and very full day there.

The weather could not have been more conducive to seaside delights!

Last year was the 50th anniversary of the release of the movie that kept me out of the ocean for years. Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley, it stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, who, with the help of a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw), hunts a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers at a New England summer resort town.

When I learned that the Laguna Playhouse offered matinee performances on Thursday afternoons, I bought tickets for The Shark is Broken. The timing could not have been more perfect (I actually saw Jaws for the one and only time with Chuck in the movie theater when I was 13).

The intriguing play description read, "The first summer blockbuster movie is being filmed - but no one working on the film would know it. Dive deep into the tumultuous, murky waters of the making of a major motion picture with testy, feuding costars, unpredictable weather, and a shark prop whose constant breakdowns are looking like an omen for the future of the movie. In this comedy co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the short tempers of "Jaws" stars Robert Shaw (father of co-writer Ian Shaw), Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider take center stage as they bond, argue, drink, gamble, and pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever."

Over the course of its 97 minutes, the play grew on us. As we got to know the characters, and understand the magnitude of their challenges 'filming' Jaws, we became engrossed.

Afterward, as we meandered through the Village, our appreciation of The Shark is Broken grew. We all really liked this play. And I think I'm ready to see Jaws again. A half of a century wait is long enough. What fun!

Renowned artist Tom Fruin is exhibiting a trio of plexiglass and steel sculptures on the lawn at City Hall. The sculptures are a nod to utilitarian design and structures we usually overlook, casting colorful shadows and reflecting sunlight during the day while interior lighting creates a captivating glow in the evening. I would have loved to have seen this aglow! Next time.

We enjoyed Happy Hour at Las Brisas overlooking the magical Laguna shoreline.

Steve and I had our first date in Laguna, began our married life here, raised our boys playing at the City park, all while adding to a lifetime collection of unforgettable memories. How wonderful to add this day to that amazing collection. Wow.

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My Big Brother is in Town

My big brother Chuck arrived for a five night stay with us. While he'll be using some of his time here to visit with San Diego friends, we have much quality sibling time lined up as well, which started with Monday's amazing afternoon at Cougar Winery with Karen and David.