Leaving SF

Ideally there would be lots of jealousy-inducing pictures on this post. But there are not. For a number of reasons.

First, I am in an American airlines lounge at SF airport. I get to use their computers but not their wifi because I have a BA ticket not American. Go figure. So I can't get photos off the laptop. And they sure as anything aren't letting me stick my USB stick into anything they own.
Secondly I don't have photos of the three best things to tell you about because we keep losing the camera. The first time I left it in a dark restaurant in Berkely marina and we had to go back for it two days later.

Which means that I do not have photos of the most amazing day at Diane's in Healdsburg. A fellow member of the Twelve by Twelve group she invited us to stay and asked if she minded if she asked a few of her quilting friends over for lunch and show and tell. Mind?! I loved it. So the door opens and the first person arrives. I am in the kitchen and I hear her say she got up at 6am. Huh? I peek around the door and there is Karen Rips , fellow Twelve, who got up at 6am to fly Burbank to Oakland and hired a car and drove 90 mins to come and join us for lunch and then had to go back the same day. The cost must have been something and I am so honoured she did it.

Then, what Caroline (Diane's daughter) described as a 'maelstrom of quilters' arrived. Last to arrive ( right in line with her personality) was Gerrie - another amazing surprise which had me in tears. She and her husband the renown Mr C ( who has a fine personality and fine physique - good choice Gerrie!) had driven 12 hours from Portland the day before to join us. It was a truly fabulous day. Of course Diane has photo on her blog already so this is hardly news


The second time we lost the camera it fell off the back seat in the Hertz hire car and we didn't notice it when we returned the car. The car was hired the next day and we had to wait to see if it would be found.

So, no pictures of the fantastic morning I spent cycling over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito (Dennis met me there by ferry n0t being keen on the two wheeled mode of transport). The weather was gorgeous, the ride easy. Ok, I pushed it up two small hills but where the road goes up the road must some down and I confess that on the 2 mile down bit when I had the road to myself the word, "wheeeeeeeeeeeee" might have escaped my lips. I even got to sit for a half hour or so on a little beach in the lee of the bridge and journal and to browse a charming clapboard cafe come gift/bookshop called the Warming Hut.

That evening the camera was returned. Much to Dennis' joy. Not so much mine because I had already lined up a good deal on an upgraded version with a nice Italian-American guy who only looked a little tiny bit like Pussy from the Sopranos. However, the next day we realised that the camera was returned but the memory card was missing. So no photos either of the whales Dennis saw in Monterey. I did book to go and I got to within a step of the boarding ramp but then my judicial instinct took over. Those two sailor guys who told me it would be 'just fine' out at sea today. Not credible witnesses. So I wimped out. Dennis returned and told me there was 30 foot swell, that only 2 people did not get seasick ( he was one but he had taken a prescription tablet and worn my acupressure bands as well) and that I would have hated every minute. But he got to see dolphins and sea otters and three humpback whales who obligingly flipped their tails for him. So he was happy.

Me? I took a peaceful and scenic walk into Pacific Grove to Back Porch Quilt shops where I added to my fabric stash. (Oh yes - another post is coming up all about fabric when I get somewhere I can post photos!)

I have bought another memory card but I bought an SDHC card which takes the photos just fine but which Dennis' laptop refuses to read. So now I have to get them transferred to disc in Auckland and buy a plain SD card. Ah the joys of travel. So soon we shuttle to LA and from there to Auckland overnight ( which is where my decision to travel with a full sized feather pillow will come into it's own! And hopefully from there I will send you pictures.