We have also visited Lance and his family in Turlock., and took a day trip with them to Monterey, California. The bay area is beautiful; we picked up shells and beach glass (glass bits that have been rolled in the surf until they are smooth); Jordon upped the ante by finding a dollar. We ate lunch at an English style restaurant, then enjoyed the sunset at a very quiet cove, where we watched the waves for over an hour. On the way to and from Monterey we stopped at Casa de Fruta, a road side fruit stand that has been successful enough to expand into several buildings. They have a huge selection of fruits, nuts, candies as well as sandwiches and drinks. The day was a wonderful time, but we left early the next day as Jordan had school and both Lance and Marla had to work.
So we headed back to Riverside, where Teresa, Jack and Jackie had been watching our dogs for us. Teresa and her mom (Aunt Jean) are exceptional cooks, so Randy is just about in heaven. They've all been cooking up a storm here. They've fixed lobster, steaks, chicken cordon bleu, lasagna, ribs, and too many other things to mention. Uncle Jack, Cousin Jackie and I have been doing our level best to keep up the eating side of things!
Saturday we went to 2 football games where Jack and Teresa's grandsons were playing. Both Ian and Riley are in playoffs with their respective teams. They both played great and both of their teams won. Saturday they will be playing the next level, and hopefully they will both win again.
Sunday evening we joined their church outreach program, feeding homeless people in LA. It's about an hour drive to get there and they have a spot they always go to. When we pulled up around 10 pm there were a lot of people already there, waiting for us. They all lined up and were very polite to us, as we handed out PB&J sandwiches, oranges, and homemade chicken-vegetable soup. It was unsettling to see how many homeless people were there - they were all ages, all races, and both men and women. I talked to one guy who looked like he was about 30 years old. He well spoken and articulate and I wondered why he was there, but after a short time I understood - he was clearly schizophrenic. After the meal a couple of them helped clean up the area. It was a privilege to be able to do something for them.
Yesterday we went to see the La Brea Tar Pit. I love this place! No dinosaur bones (unfortunately) but lots of animals from the time of wooly mammoths and sabertooth cats. (Yes, I coveted the mammoth tusks but they were watching so I couldn't sneak one out!) Since its discovery there have been over 100 tons of bones extracted from the tar pits. The tar is often covered by a thin layer of water or leaves from nearby trees. Animals would wander into the tar pits and become trapped. Tar doesn't work like quicksand - animals did not sink under the surface to die. Instead they either died of starvation or their cries and struggles drew in predators of all sizes, from the big sabertooth cats and Dire wolves to vultures and smaller birds. But the predators would often become stuck themselves, and a whole series of animals would die together. After a few years the bones would become covered with more water or tar, and the cycle would repeat. The work there is ongoing and fascinating, and they do a great job of identifying, cleaning and reassembling all the bones. . If I had my life to live over again, I think I'd work as a paleontologist.
Today (11/24/10) we are getting ready for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow at Jim Booth's house is the Booth family celebration. We expect to have Roasted Turkey, Deep Fried Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib, Chinese Style Ribs, Smoked Ribs, Smoked, Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables, Rolls, Salad, and more desserts than I can describe. In other words, huge amounts of food. But before all that we will be over at the church tonight helping cook food for over 4,000 people who are either elderly, handicapped, homeless, home ridden or many other conditions. This is such a privilege and we are both really glad we have this chance.
To those of you who read our blog; Thank you for reading it, and we hope you have a safe and Blessed Thanksgiving.
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