Sanetha's Country Lane: 2016

We bought our first Alpacas in 2006. Sheared them yearly. Had socks, mittens, hats, yarn made out of the fleece. Presented them to be judged at shows and brought home a few ribbons. Watched cria births. Raised the cria to have their own offspring. Loved when my husband and I could care for the animals together. But my husband got less and less able to care for them and their care began to fall on me. I got up early every day to feed animals in all weather before I went to work. I couldn't trim nails by myself. Held an animals for 2 hours while the Vet did surgery on her. So we made the decision to re-home our alpacas. They went to good homes in Missouri and Arkansas. I have no regrets. Loved them all.

July 19, 2016

July 19, 2016
Giant Sequoia National Park
This park is named for the giant trees that thrive here.
I loved this park. Not just the trees but the beautiful scenery.

Ignore the tourists. They were everywhere.
Me? No I been here before. I know where I am going! LOL!!

By mass the largest tree in the world.

Top of the General Sherman.

Beautiful forest of Sequoias.

Scenery in Giant Sequoia national park.

Perspective picture. Compare the motorhome in the distance with the tree.

Both sides of this tree is the root ball of a fallen Sequoia.

Not that big. I can hold one in my hand!

Walkway thru the fallen Sequoia.

So driving out of Sequoia is not for wimps. I didn't take any pictures because I was on the verge of a panic attack. (Never had one before, but now I know what being on the verge of one feels like). Husband is a wonderful driver, but the only thing between you and the 200 ft. drop off is a white stripe on the pavement. If someone in the other direction was distracted for a moment and didn't make the turn they could bump you off the road!! Switchbacks, narrow roads, blind turns! AACK! I was glad to reach the bottom of this road.
Now we are turning the car East for Kansas!

Yosemite National Park

July 18
Yosemite National Park

July 2016

We stayed at Yosemite West Gate Lodge outside Yosemite. Nice place and very accommodating, for people that didn't have reservations. We drove into the beautiful park. A lot of scars for forest fires along the way. Still beautiful. As we drove through a particularly thick stand of trees a bear crossed the road in front of us. Not close enough to cause us to brake. It was running fast I didn't have a chance to take a pic.
The traffic was thick in the main park. People biking, walking, hiking.

Fire damage

Me taking a walk around.

Timeline of the tree rings. First tree ring was while the Coliseum in Rome, Italy was built.

Huge downed tree.

Half dome

Winchester Mystery House

No photos allowed inside :(

July 16, 2016
The Winchester House is a unique/confusing/interesting home built by Sarah Winchester. Sarah was born in Connecticut. She was highly educated and spoke several languages. She married William Winchester, the heir to the Winchester Repeating Rifle fortune. They had a child that died as an infant. Her husband William died 10 years later, leaving the shares of the company to Sarah. Then when William's Mother passes away a few years later, Sarah becomes the major share holder. A "psychic" told her she should build a place the souls of the people that were killed by the Winchester rifle can go to and be comfortable. So she traveled to California and found the property of a farm. She started building in 1888 and continued until her death in 1922.

It is a confusing maze of small and large rooms. Rooms with doors that will only allow entrance but not exit. Cabinets that open on to a hallway. Or small doors that have 1 inch of space inside. Doors that open onto walls. Windows in floors. Ingenious things like a washboard and soap dish built into a sink. A metal floor with a drain, covered by removable wooden floor panels to water plants in the conservatory.

Front door

Only people that ever walked through this door were Sarah Winchester and the men that built the door.

Sarah Winchester received several million dollars upon the death of her husband. And again upon the death of her mother-in-law. Her income was $1000 per day. Ultimately an unlimited income to do anything she wanted.

JULY 16 & JULY 17

July 16

Don't remember which day this started or what day today is!!

North out of Carmel by the sea. San Francisco. Across Golden Gate bridge.

Most exhausting day.

"Which way? "

"Go north"

"No right!"

" Highway @#$%!"

"Merge left."

"Go straight"

"Slow down"

"Speed up!"

" OMG!"

The traffic was terrible.

Ate at a Fish restaurant last night

Stayed in the HONEYMOON suite at a Best Western (fireplace, DVD player, Jacuzzi tub).

July 17

Mostly areas that do not have Internet access. No cell phone service. Can't upload pictures from phones. Our hotel has dial-up Internet so I can at least let you know where we are. We are near the gates of Yosemite park. Fires have taken a toll in this area. Acres of burned out trees. I remember the campsites we stayed in as a kid being lush with trees. Many of the campgrounds are bare due to fire damage. But...we haven't actually gotten into the park. Staying at cute little place we were lucky enough to get for 2 nights. A RESERVATION!!!

I am now being told I can't stay on here if someone is waiting. Must be off in 15 minutes. WHAT THE HECK!!! BYE!!

Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, Ca.

July 16, 2016

There is a picture somewhere of my sister and I standing with Golden Gate Bridge in the background. Bright clear day. Must have been the last time there was a clear bright day at Golden Gate Bridge.

July 15, 2016 26th anniversary!

July 15,2016 - 6th day of vacation

Today is our 26th Wedding Anniversary. We left Marina del Rey (regretfully). It was such a pretty spot. We are driving Highway 1 up the Pacific coast. I was pretty tense in the passenger seat up this road. Man oh man it has blind curves, steep drop offs, narrow roads. All the things that make for an adventure! My husband did a wonderful job of getting us through safely! We are alive and not laying in a heap of metal at the bottom of a cliff! WOOHOO!

My husband and I are good traveling companions. We joke around. Watch license plates. I love him for the loving partner he has always been. If we get off our route he doesn't get upset. He knows I have never been here before either so we are both kind of going in the direction that seems right. Kind of like our marriage.

We traveled thru Malibu. The homes "backdoor" that faces the highway are pretty nondescript. Some even look rundown. My theory is the more rundown that entry looks, the better the home is inside. Kind of reverse psychology security. Stopped at a roadside area and watched Sea Lions on the beach. We stopped when I saw a whale's water spout out in the water. We were able look at it through binoculars. The tale fin would emerge from the water and show the shape. Might have been 3-4 together. A "pod"?

Started getting kind of late and we didn't have a room for the night (of course). We slowed down at several mom and pop motels along the way to get a glimpse of their "No vacancy" sign. One we stopped at was in such a beautiful spot on a cliff. I might have gone over and chucked the occupants out but by the time I had stood in line for restroom behind 8 people (1 stall) I had lost the will.

Most of the day has been in and out of fog. Noticed screen on truck said 59 degrees. We pull into Carmel and see...a HOTEL!!! Hotels have rooms!! Not only did it have rooms it had a RESTAURANT, ADULT BEVERAGES! The fog parted and angels sang!!!

Tomorrow on to Winchester Mystery House. My bucket list item.