the view from the garden

This is the view from the garden. This peak you see is a mighty popular peak here in town. It seems, no matter how early I am up, someone is already at the top of the peak. Me? I have never been up. I know the views are supposed to be STUNNING but the crowds are just not my thing. I prefer the wander around the base that leads into small forests and sometimes crosses paths with deer, cattle, and wild turkey. But this view, this view? I quite like it. Even with the power lines criss-crossing in my vision.

We've seen solitary figures at the top, and large numbers at the top. We've seen numerous helicopter rescues, and right now, just moments before writing this, I saw three or four flashlights flash as law breaking hucksters make their way down the peak past sunset.

I might venture up someday, but don't hold your breath. I'm quite happy with the view from below.

some wanders end with milkshakes...

We have finally hit a sweet spot with rain up here on the Central Coast! These hills have been brown for so long, it is delightful to see them so green and pretty! The cows appear to be happy as well. When the hills are brown, you rarely see any of the cows just chilling as they are too busy searching for food. Now that food is a little more abundant, they do not have to work as hard.

Even though we're a bit thrilled with all the rain, there has been a bit of cabin fever building up at the homestead a-go-go. Mr. a-go-go and I decided it was high time we got to wandering and so we bundled up and headed out to Montaña de Oro (I know, we go there a lot). I wanted to see if the tide was in, and the mister wanted to look for rocks that might work as heads for his mudmen.

The tide wasn't exactly in but the creek was so full, it changed the shape of the beach just a bit at the cove. It was also quite wet and drizzly with sideways drizzle due to the wind...even though we were hardly keeping dry, I was quite happy to wander and admire the rocks and stones along the beach. They look so much prettier when wet, don't they?

While I was perfectly happy in the drizzle, the mister was not, and so we headed back across the cove to the slippery steps up to the car. I stopped to take a quick video of the tiny waterfalls which yo ucan see here...if ya like.

And of course, we headed out for burgers and milkshakes at Sylvester's. I am a big fan of milkshakes when it is raining. Never in the summer...they are too rich for hot days...hot days are for slurpees...

Driving home, we were the only car on the road1 It was still a bit drizzly and grey...so drizzly and grey, even the birdies were hiding out. This is Los Osos Valley Road and usually, it is a pretty happening place. 

And this lovely bit of marshy-ness is what I like to call the cow pond. It has been dry for a few years so seeing it both wet and vast makes my heart happy! 

And this...this is my favorite view coming home. That beauty right there is called Bishop Peak and it the most popular hiking trail in town. I have never done it, while the mister does it almost every weekend. It's a bit too crowded with people littering up the place, playing loud music, and generally disregarding the trail. I prefer Felsman Loop, which is not popular at all, so is relatively quiet save for an errant wild turkey or two. Also, I think I just prefer loops in general. Someday though, I will head up Bishop if only to enjoy the view which I hear is quite stunning.

walking to coffee w favorite peoples

Scout Coffee on Foothill

pretty copper accents

coffee in jars (of course)

the best pastries ever

meeting neighborhood cats

oh how i love the bird boardwalk....

rainy days are the best beach days

seriously!

morro rock

morro bay

i spy an oyster catcher

time to surf

well, hullo!

a smidge of green

pelicans!

there is so much more color when it rains

the drive home...no more rainbow but just as pretty

I do love the ocean when it rains...the mister and I spend a couple of hours wandering around the bay (Morro) and the beach. The birds were out and having a field day as were the surfers, sea lions, and later....Coast Guard. We spied the rainbow on our way out and I just about had a panic attack thinking the mister would not pull over so I could snap a picture of it. Timing is kinda everything when rainbows are involved.

we went to a shindig

mr. a-go-go and i do not know many people up here. being ever-so-slightly introverted, childless, old, and dorky makes it a leetle bit difficult but we make do. it helps that we enjoy each others company. that said, the few people i have met and and utterly adore just happen to be folks who connected with me through my blog and flickr. flickr! remember flickr? one of my local flickr friends got hitched so mr. a-go-go and i did our best to clean up and be social. it was a lot of fun and the happy couple throw a mean shindig...just saying. yay for parties! i did not bring my rebel but i did bring an old iphone that i use purely as a mini jukebox and a camera to capture some of the happy little details.

 

 

 can you tell there was a little bit of scrumdilly involved? it was super windy but still, everything was simple and pretty.

 

 i may have mixed up a number of arnold palmers. i used to think they were over-the-top smarmy lemonades but now that i am an old fogey i quite like them. p.s. everyone knows that drinks served from enormous mason jars are better anyway.

 

 

 

we were seated at the flickr table and met some super cool people who gamely chatted with us about our fondness of L.A. eats. made us miss L.A.

 

 

it was super windy and the weather waffled between shivering and warm. cold drinks were downed and then i may have parked myself at the coffee table when the coffee came out. our hosts chose cupcakes for the cake portion of the ceremony and good lord i need to learn how to make a salted chocolate caramel cupcake, yum!

so we did it. us dorky a-go-gos stepped out of our comfort zones to gussy up as best we could to honor a favorite person's big day and we survived. we even had fun and yes, we danced a little too!

fun at the slo mini maker faire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SLO Mini Maker Faire was  whirlwind of chaotic goodness and well...wind. Good golly it was windy but we had a lot of fun and even sold some ukes so it ain't all that bad...next week we will be in San Mateo for the BIG event. We will not be selling, just demonstrating so if yer hitting up the faire come give us a shout...