Walked the two mile back-and-forth to the market in the morning, then was picked up at 12:30 and we were off.
It was beautifully warm in Ventura, but on our way to Shelf Road, we were concerned about the dark, low-hanging clouds over our destination in Ojai:
Shelf Road Trail is a 3.5 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Ojai, California that offers scenic views and is good for all skill levels.
At one point, El and I continued on the gently-rising main trail and the intrepid others climbed up a side trail--oh, yes, including the six-year-old, the went to the top and over the crest (see the other four above). After we met up again, Mr. K. took a picture of his dinosaur on a cairn:
There were lots of others on the trail, including family groups, runners, and--incredibly, considering the terrain, bicyclists; we even saw a crazy kid on a unicycle!
On the way back to El's, we stopped at the Maricopa Tail, which is within walking distance, so P., N., and K. could show us an owl's next, which they had discovered in a tree the other day. This was on the way in, where they're pointing out a lizard:
Then it was back to El's for a good, pulled-together, international (it including bok choy, lasagna, and beans and rice) dinner, made and served by those two little girls I used to know.
After, Mr. K. played Chutes and Ladders and Crazy 8's while others cleaned up (well, I did my part for many years!). We then all played Yatsee, which always seemed to me a complicated, rather tedious game, but I was happy to be there with them.
After we discussed plans for today--The Promenade, if it doesn't rain--I was chauffeured home. As is my new normal, I didn't get to bed until 10:00, but slept like a stone and awoke at my usual 6:30.
2 comments:
Oh Rosemary,
The pain of saying farewell must be terrible. You're smart to focus on the wonderful time you spent together and especially Mr. K who sounds like a sweetheart. Maybe fantasizing, dreaming or even giving serious thought to a trip to Japan for you when this all settles down will help a bit. Why not?
Pat, I actually have tentatively plans to visit my brother, Jim--you know, the one in Virginia who's 94--in August. I thought I'd go to see Mike and family in Singapore, too, as it's only 800 miles away. And yes, as long as I'm in the neighborhood, maybe I could go to Japan. Of course, the present situation would have to be considered and assessed, but I'm not throwing in the towel yet.
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