Fresno/Clovis

I was feeling out of sorts yesterday evening -- typical addictive reaction to withdrawal (from the connected world) -- but decided that I would enjoy our dinner anyway. We had clam chowder, halibut in orange sauce, rice pilaf, and creme brulee. Delicious, though not quite so good as the sea bass the evening before.

This morning, we woke late (after 6!) and walked on the beach until sunrise. By the time we left the hotel after breakfast, we were ready for another full day of sensory overload. The Pacific coast near Monterey is so beautiful and stimulating that the experience defies the limitation of words. A lady in Pacific Grove sat silently on a bench, apparently contemplating the bay, looking so serene that I myself could feel the draw of the interior experience. I am not very contemplative, but I could see the possibilities of contemplation and the interior life!

By the time we got to our intended stop, Casa de Fruta, we were on a roll so we sped on by, up Pacheco Pass and past San Luis Reservoir and, finally, into Los Banos for lunch at Burger King. By this time, I was feeling hungry -- it was a long time since my breakfast of fruit and cottage -- and feeling ticked off when Bob announced to Chris on the phone that I was "cranky"! No matter. A whopper junior repaired my sour mood and we were, once again, on the road.

Arrived at Mary's around 4 PM. She has a beautiful condo, decorated artfully, with lovely colors. Sophie the poodle is as sociable and friendly as Mary and Tyler, who has recuperated very well from this morning's surgery to repair his broken arm with titanium plate and screws. Mary served a delicious dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread and French wine. I think I'm just going to stay here!

Tyler downloaded a couple of apps for the iPad, and I found that wireless access certainly facilitated the process of uploading pics to the Internet. Of course, I'm sitting at Mary's Windows desktop in the kitchen, enjoying the familiar operating system and keyboard. Bob is sitting happily in the living room, listening to Mary's iPod broadcast through the stereo.

Sophie the Dog is as beautiful as pics have suggested!