It was a misty moisty morning at Morro Bay as we ventured off in search of sea lions, birds and a good time. Emily and I became paddling partners after the sand bar excursion. There we found beautiful dunes, rocks, sand dollars, large clam shells and lots of birds. We were getting tired and had paddled over to the pylons under a restaurant watching pigeons roost when we heard a barking sound. Having been close observers of a sea lion in captivity at the Morro Bay Aquarium the day before, we knew what the sound was. Excited, we followed the sound until we found them. A whole group of sea lions huddled on a small dock between two moored boats. There were several large bulls and even more females. A harbor patrol boat was nearby and we inquired about the safety factor of getting a closer look. We were told to keep a ways back, so we proceeded cautiously and made our rounds. It was thrilling, to see these giant graceful creatures living so simply here in this safe place. The bulls barked at us, warning us to stay away. We drifted there a while and then barked back. They weren't impressed. Seeing so many of these animals in nature was a great way to end our kayaking adventure.

These past several days have been amazing and unrepeatable. Bringing six children on the road is a brave task and one Ken and I undertook beginning last Saturday. I had the normal getting ready jitters, Ken was calm and organized. I began to stress and he simply said a few words and put us all at ease. The van was packed with eight suitcases, five pillows, extra towels, three horses, and skads of snacks. The excitement and electricity was contagious. I had no choice but to enjoy myself, listen to the playful banter and soak up sights along the way. We had embarked on an adventure and it's not over yet.

Our plan was to travel to Morro Bay and check out the town then check into the hotel in Atascadero. Approximately a four hours later we decided to stop in Solvang because we'd never been there, at least seven of us hadn't. A fun diversion, we found a wonderful candy shop and lots of gift shops . I inadvertently broke a $299.00 frog. Ever so gently my fingers moved the scepter in his hand (he was a frog prince) and his whole thumb came clean off with a snap. How was I supposed to know he was such a dried up amphibian? My stomach churned while my daughter looked on and went with me as I took him to the front counter to confess the crime. The young clerk was so kind and simply said, "That's okay, I'll take it." I thanked her profusely and with many sheepish smiles walked away not too quickly. Mercy is a beautiful thing. Graceful I was not.


I recall stopping at Carl's Jr. for lunch somewhere, and we had combos and plenty of burgers to satiate the slightly wearying travelers.

Upon arriving in Morro Bay we cruised the waterfront but headed back to the streets above to scour the several thrift shops we'd seen on the way down. Time was of the essence, and I felt transported to the good old days of thrift shopping as the sign read, "All clothes half off today." It was true! The only drawback was the shop closing at 4pm, less than 15 minutes away. YIKES! It had been Jo's request for "new" clothes from the thrift store because she didn't want trendy new ones, she like the classics, the odd, the loved. She and I were practically hysterical at all the garments we found in the short time provided. Tera too found a cute vest she loved and a fleece lined chocolate jacket too...only $2.50. Perfect! Most of us under packed for the cool weather, my fault entirely, but we made up for it there. Then, as we walked a few doors down, Jed found a broken-in baseball glove and ball he loved. SCORE! Then, we looked west and lo and behold...a farmer's market was in full swing! I just didn't think it could get any better than that. A sample of this, a sample of that and pretty soon I was buying organic almonds, tiny seedless grapes and the best pluots I'd ever had. The woman, unaware that I'd just bought grapes from her husband, began to fill up my pluot bag with pounds and pounds of more grapes. I remember her saying "Give her more, because this is my place and I decide who gets what." The children bought fudge, we looked at jewelry, Ken found a book store and then I found another thrift store...with a $6 cashmere sweater just my size, in a soft sage green. YUMMY! Our arms full of surprises and ready for rest, we headed toward the van, continued on a pretty drive to the humble motel 18 miles away.

I didn't mean to get bogged down in so many details. I wanted to write a simple overview of what has happened since then. Tomorrow we'll have been gone a week, and Sunday, we return home. Perhaps I can recap. No run on sentences... Kayaked in Morro Bay, climbed sand dunes on sand bar to private beach, collected sand dollars and pretty rocks, stayed in San Simeon, went to Hearst Castle, stopped in Cambria for antique shops and also stopped at Moonstone beach and found more cool rocks and gorgeous trees. Drove up Hwy 1, windy road and awesome views. Made it to Monterey on Monday. Began working the fair on Tuesday. Went to the Monterey Bay aquarium on Wednesday, went to the amazing Dennis the Menace Park, drove the 17 mile drive today...fabulous rock climbing and photo ops. Kept working the fair every day between 2-7 pm, three sets each day. Grocery shopped, brought in pizza, chicken, meatloaf and ice cream and key lime pie, ate out tacos.

Ok, that at least clears my mind of the majors. Each day has been wonderful and unique. Watching the children work out their differences and being able to compromise, communicate and create. We assigned them a play, due tomorrow night...they've been working hard. Ken and I have managed to keep our wits and roll with the punches...or should I say, go with the flow. The children are a delight and it's a priviledge to be able to show them so much in this short time. Let me know, and I'll send you pictures. :)

Good night.

In 2004-2005 I was home schooling my five children and co-teaching a high school poetry class through Heritage Christian School. Studying some masters, we then began writing our inspired copycat works. "The Poet's Corner" became our compilation's title. Some works were silly, others serious. We studied William Blake's "Tyger," William Carlos Williams' simple style, a Robert Herrick sonnet, Wallace Steven's 13 ways of looking at a Blackbird, Archibald Lampman's "A Thunderstorm," Shakespeare "Under the Greenwood Tree" and Kenneth Koch's "One Train May Hide Another. As the students wrote, so did I. We would share our thoughts and hearts without judgment. This second story corner room was a safe space. It became a melting pot of creativity and originality. We enjoyed each other's poems so much we kept asking for copies and it was easy to devise a final where we all got something in the end in addition to the "A's." I hope you enjoy reading my genuine imitations.

Modeled after William Blake's "The Tyger." I picked...

THE ELEPHANT

Elephant, Great Elephant, massive, towering, strong.
What burdens have you borne
Since the first dawn you witnessed?
How did it feel to lift your head?

In what distant lands you roam?
Traveling, searching for some home
Grouped together trudging on
As if unsettled within the boundaries of this world.

Today your shape is the largest on land.
Did you ever seem small?
Were there others that loomed above you?
Did your toes ever get stepped on?

When did men subdue your strength?
Or did you humble yourself under
The command of the Creator's hand?
Obedient, Sacrificial, Steadfast - describe what I see.
Could you say this of yourself?

Vibrations in the earth signal your presence.
Stronger and stronger until the spine is tingling with terror
What do you want with me?
Elephant, Great Elephant, massive, towering, strong.

I’ll bet you’ve never seen a pet like the one in this Video of the Day. In 1969, two friends, John Rendall and Ace Berg, purchased a lion. At the time, Christian the lion was a 35-pound cub. He had been born in a zoo. The friends raised Christian in their London home. All three hung out in a friend’s furniture shop on the weekends.

Within a year, Christian had grown to 185 lbs. Rendall and Berg realized they couldn’t keep him much longer. But they didn’t know what to do with him. A chance encounter changed that. Two actors from the film Born Free walked into the furniture store.

The actors recommended a conservationist, George Adamson, living in Kenya. Christian was soon in Africa. There he was rehabilitated and released into the wild.

In 1974, Rendall and Berg decided to visit Christian one last time. He was now a wild animal. Adamson told them it was doubtful that Christian could be found. No one had seen him in nine months.

The two flew to Kenya, anyway. On the day they landed, Christian appeared outside Adamson’s camp. Somehow, he knew. He waited outside the camp until Rendall and Berg arrived.

This video was taken during their reunion with Christian. What a story! What a video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

Click here to watch video

Seeing this video, I was reminded of a similar reunion. When I moved from my homestead in Carlsbad in 1990, I chose to leave my cat behind. She was a short haired brown tabby with amazing yellow eyes and the most amazing personality. Roxy was an avid hunter and often got two gophers a day in the Spring on the five plus acres surrounding our home. She would always come show us her bounty for kudos, then with the skill of a sushi chef, separate the head, stomach and tail. There would be no blood, and nothing else left except a sleepy cat who'd spend the rest of the day zonked in a sunny patch in the garden. Roxy loved to be petted and patiently allowed and tolerated the children of our home day care to dress her in doll clothes and push her in the dolly stroller. She had a speaking voice that greeted people and would come running right to me when I called "Here Kitty kitty kitty kitty kitty..." As I'd reach down to pet her head she'd raise up on her hind legs to meet my hand putting her head against it. Her sweet face would smile as she gave and received love freely.

My grandfather continued to live in the house next door to where I had been raised so we would come and visit him from time to time. One afternoon, about ten years ago, I went by to see if he was home. The curtains were drawn in front so we went around to the back gate and I decided to give my children a mini-tour of the yard. It had been a long time since we'd been there and I wanted to reminesce and show them my favorite trees. As we passed through the yard toward the wood pile I was startled by a furry something lying in the tall grass beneath a bird of paradise plant. Then it moved slightly and I realized it was a cat, my cat Roxy. "Rox! I said and I reached down to pet her. She meowed softly and I wondered if she was hurt. Sleepy, she slowly stood up and then realized it was me. Her coat was in good shape, she was thinner and old, but so beautiful. She was rubbing me and meowing more and I was holding my baby so I didn't pick her up. I was overcome with emotion and my children saw me break down right there. I said, "Rox, these are my children, I want to show you. Everyone, this is Roxy, the cat I've told you so many stories about." Every body was so surprised. With tears running down my cheeks I just kept petting her and she reared up a little to meet my hand just like she always did so many times before. The children all petted her gently and then we walked away. She followed us a little ways through the yard. I was trying to figure out then how old she was. She was 20 or 21 years old! My step-grandmother came out the back door just then. I told her what had happened and she told me that old cat just hangs around and doesn't cause any trouble. I was so glad I'd made the decision to let my cat stay in the place she'd always known. She was a true country cat and this was her home. She brought a lot of joy to many other families through the years and although she would eat dry cat food gladly gobble down a raw scrambled egg once in a while, she knew how to live off the land. Transient gophers were easy pickin's as more homes were built on the surrounding fields. I will always remember much about my cat Roxanne, and her sister Rochelle. Maybe I'll write some more stories about them later. I've always wanted another cat like that. But some people you just can't replace.