Where was I?

I forgot where I left off on our journey. But either way, right now we are in Paso Robles, California. We got here yesterday afternoon, and spent the latter part of the day visiting some of the wineries in the area. Turley Winery has some incredible Zinfandels. If you're ever in the area, try them.

We spent the night of the 29th at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Totally cool. The Skip Barber Racing School is there, and on Thursday there were cars on the track practicing. It was almost like being at a race. We went to Monterey while there and walked through Cannery Row and then drove the scenic drive along the bay. Apparently it was cold there, given all the people in coats and jackets and sweaters. We were in shorts and t-shirts thinking the weather was just perfect. If they think temps in the 70s are chilly, what does that say about their summers?

Before that we spent 2 days in the Garlic Capital of the world, Gilroy. And yes, it does smell like garlic. Everywhere. And yes, we did the tourist thing and went and bought everything garlic. Salsa, pesto, pickles, pasta sauce, and even pickled garlic. There are also outlet stores there, so we went shopping too. Bill got about 10 pairs of shorts and I got a shirt.

The weather has been wonderful. Warm and sunny. I'm actually liking this. I think I've spent too many years in the cold. A little warmth and I'm in heaven. We're heading further south today. We want to get into Santa Barbara in order to meet Bill's Uncle Art and Aunt Andie. I've never met them and Bill hasn't seen them in almost 20 years.

All in all, we're having a good time. I'm starting to get over my homesickness, or better yet, my lack-of-a-home-sickness. We're keeping busy and seeing and doing things that we've never done before, which is keeping my mind off it. I've been cross stitching and crocheting when I have time. The dogs keep you busy too.

Speaking of dogs, today is Eugene's 3rd birthday. Tomorrow he will have been with us a full year. Can you believe it? I can't. It feels like he's been with us forever. He has definitely become one of the family and I couldn't imagine this trip without him, or Meika, for that matter. They've made it more fun.

I've been doing some birding, but the LBJs have been driving me absolutely insane! I'm finding I'm not as good a birder as I thought I was. I knew all the birds in Alaska, but now I'm not so sure of myself. My biggest issue is that the birds in Alaska are all in breeding plumage and here they aren't. And there are a lot of juvenile birds that look like each other. Gulls are giving me the same headache, but to a lesser extent. (Oh, LBJs are Little Brown Jobs.) I did, however, add a Western Bluebird to my list. And there was a large flock of California Quail at Laguna Seca. I'm working on my birding skills. I think I need to find an Audubon Society outing and join in so I can get some help from the area experts.

I guess I'll finish here. Don't forget to check out Bill's blog, http://thewanderinggrywhl.blogspot.com. He's outdoing me in the blog world and it's a very enjoyable read.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EUGENE!!