After a picturesque ride from southern to northern California, we reached the Bay Area on Saturday, April 12th. Both traffic and weather all along the way made the trip especially enjoyable. Lots of wild flowers and trees in bloom had us ahhhing and ohhhing. Light traffic made Paul’s job of getting us to the Alameda County Fairgrounds easier.
This place has pretty much become our “home” while we are in this area. We often stay in the “long term” section, but since we expect to be here less than a month, we are in the “temporary” area. It is in a nice area, and we enjoy the green lawns, and occasionally see a horse or two from the stables not far away.
We drove over to our daughter Christina’s place to pick up some mail, which had been forwarded there for us. When we drove into their yard we noticed some interesting objects gracing their back yard. It seems that our daughter and her husband volunteered to design and create the stage settings for the up-coming operetta at their children’s school. The musical will be “Hiawatha” and our first grade granddaughter, Catie, is going to be a yellow bird in the program. (Catie insists that she is a yellow finch.) The entire elementary school will participate in the production, and although Chris and Chet are constructing the sets, the children all have an opportunity to help with applying the paper Mache to the “mountain” and will do most of the painting of the “long house”, “teepees” and other smaller pieces.
Since we have been intent on getting some exercise every day, we were especially glad to be in the Pleasanton area. Close by the fairgrounds is our favorite hiking area. On Sunday, Chris and girls joined us in a hike up the hill (about a 1,000 foot climb). We take the easier, switchback trail, and found the girls to be good hikers!
One day, after Paul’s Lupron shot, we stopped by another favorite walking area – Lake Elizabeth, where a flat, 2 ½ mile walk around the perimeter of the lake brought back memories of many such walks there. This was our first “springtime” walk along the lake, and one we enjoyed seeing the many spring flowers that greeted us along the way.
While in the area, we determined to visit with some friends we haven’t seen in too long a time. When we lived in a “stick” house, these were an integral part of our extended family, and getting together with them was a high priority.
One day we spent several delightful hours with John and Agnes (who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary!) We were lucky enough to also meet with friends Peggy and John with whom we have enjoyed so many happy years of friendship. Visiting with these folks brought home again the value of friendship, and of how fortunate we have been to have these particular friends in our lives.
On Sunday we had another happy reunion with friends Leanne and Jim and Bob and Mary Lou. A delicious 
visit to a local restaurant (Father Nature) and a leisurely breakfast and visiting was followed by their visit to our “home on wheels”. We spent several more hours recalling happy times we have shared over the years.
