May

Here's what's been taking up my time since the great weekend at Bodega Bay.

I take lessons and dance at Spotlight Dance Studio.  Twice a year the studio puts on a showcase and the students and teachers dance choreographed pieces.  One is in December and low key-- some people say it is a practice for the one in May.  Last fall, Paulette asked me if I wanted to dance with The Girlfriends; a group of eight women from thirties to sixties.  I said OK.  One of the teachers choreographed a routine and we set out to learn it and get the moves in our muscle memory.  We danced in two shows in December.

After the December shows, I thought but, didn't say aloud, "I'm not going to do that again."  I felt clumsy.  Then in March someone said, "We have to start practicing for the May Showcase."  I didn't say anything, I showed up for practice.  Our music was "Get on Your Feet" by Gloria Estafan and it was a FAST cha cha.  Paulette agreed to some extra coaching and practice time with me.  Inspired by the lyrics,  "Get on your feet...Get up and make it happen, and ...deep in your heart is the answer that will pull you through"  I did get up and make it happen.

  The entire week May 4-9 was taken up with tech and dress rehearsals and the performances.  It was a great week.  We performed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and a Saturday matinee. A group of my friends came to see the shows.  I am so glad I did it.

NOW the WNBA season has started.  We, the Sacramento Monarchs, won both the pre-season and opening games.  And last night the Seattle Storm blew us away.  We will get them next time.

Bodega Bay Weekend

We walked on the beach and some got into the cold, cold water up to their waists.  Not me!

There was kite flying and it is hard to get the kite and the flier in a little digital camera.  Then we went to the tide pools in search of sea anemones and starfish.  Few sea anemones but starfish seem to be out of season. 

We had a great time and the weather was great.  Our new rental was fantastic.  There is a lot more room than the little cottage we had rented the previous two years.  This one had a dishwasher, a working coffee pot, with a complimentary bag of beans form the management company.  We didn't bring too much food and had great meals thanks to Robin's cooking.

That's us on the spiral staircase.

WARNING do not read the next lines if your weather is still bad.

When we returned to the valley it was 92 degrees.  

I'm not going to say it was cold Monday and this morning if it is still winter in Nebraska.  It is just perfect this afternoon and I can hear the birds singing outside my window.

This and that.

To Shirley:  Yes, we do want to be healthy and able to get around on our own.  Probably a good thing I didn't come to visit.  Doesn't sound like you guys would have been much fun.   Also, the airlines are not very dependable these days.  Shoddy maintenance, cancelled flights, bankruptcy and so on.  Not a good time for me to travel.  Thanks for the cranes with moon picture on you blog.  

Shae came and stayed with me for three days.  We had fun.  She is full of questions.  And knows a lot of answers.  She states them with a lot of authority.

I just had a health scare.  They called me back for an additional mammogram.  The good news is they had to take about 8 pictures with a different machine to even find what had shown up on the original.   And then didn't find anything.  The doctor wants to check again in six months.  The bad news is I had to be squeezed eight times.  And it hurt.  Finally I relaxed enough not to hurt so much.

BIG NEWS.  Paulette and I are booked on an Alaskan Cruise starting in Seattle August 1.  It is seven days with stops in Ketchikan, Juno, Sitka and Victoria Island, Canada and back to Seattle.

I'm excited.

Paulette  can see without glasses or contacts and even looks different.  She is still very excited about her surgery and it is, apparently, a total success.  

Sutter Buttes

The Sutter Buttes, sometimes referred to as the smallest mountain range in the country rise out of the flat Sacramento valley about sixty miles north of Sacramento.  These mountains are privately owned.  They are visible from Sacramento on clear days and from I5 as you travel along with caravans of big trucks to Oregon.  The third time I planned a hike to the buttes it did not storm.  Twice before last weekend I had arranged to hike the buttes with friends.  Those weekends produced some of the strongest storms of the year on those dates.  This time the weather turned out perfect.  We hiked for six hours up to the top of one peak.  Had lunch and hiked back down.  It is a steep hike and when we returned to the cars I was sure I would not be able to walk on Sunday.  However I took Aleve and my legs were fine the next day.  

The snow-covered mountain in the photo on the right is Mt. Lassen,  another mountain I want to hike to the top.  The first time I went to hike it the wind blew so hard the rain was almost horizontal.  Well not quite but it rained a lot.  The next time it was June and the temperature 

was about 85f.

Spring

We have been doing spring for a while and I was waiting until the midwest temp moved above zero to post these photos.

Trees all over look like cotton candy, pink or white.  There were no pink ones on my walk.  I have several different routes to walk now that I'm a little more acquainted with my neighborhood.  I can walk around two drainage ponds that serve as stops along the migration routes for ducks and geese.  At the small one there are a number of very brown jack rabbits.  I was afraid they had been displaced by the high water but if they were they are back.  Several kinds of ducks are swimming around each time I pass.

Not everyone likes these trees due to allergies.  I like them even though they dry out my contacts.  I've had my windows open all day for the last two weekends and after the next rain I'm going to put my outdoor table and chairs on the balcony.   The tree and fountain are in front of a Bel Air supermarket in Yuba City, CA.   

flowers and sunrise

 

Sunrise yesterday morning from my balcony.

My African Violet showing off.


Last week, in my Davis class the student from France left to return home.

She brought me this Freesia plant.  I don't know how long it will last under my care but it was beautiful with the morning sun shining on it while I drank my coffee.

See a little corner of my place.

Now you can see where the pieces are displayed.

This is my dining area.  I'm standing behind the table.  The kitchen is to the left.  See the sunrise?  About one minute after I took this picture  that sunrise was covered by clouds.

In the lower right is an Ikea door for a little cabinet I bought.  Paulette and I couldn't get it on.  Photo when it is finished.  Then I can show you my front door.