A good evening with the AGSEM gang

A good evening yesterday; Randy had smoked a brisket for 16 hours, made some coleslaw, baked beans and pickles, and invited folks over: the other Workampers Rick, Mark and Patty, Office Manager Ashley and her family - Dan, Lee and Allison - plus cousin Jack and Jackie. It had been really hot during the day but by evening it cooled off to the point where some of us wore light jackets - perfect for sitting outside, talking, eating and drinking. And the guys did a fair bit of drinking! 

Beach life is beautiful

Every so often we need an ocean fix, so today we took the Sprinter Light Rail from Vista to Oceanside. It stops a few blocks from the beach so it was easy to walk there. The water is too cold to swim in but we took off our shoes and waded in. 

Love the beach here; when it's wet, the sand has a golden gleam.

Sometimes the waves make dramatic shapes in the sand. It's not noticeable when looking down the beach,

but when I look straight down, it's beautiful!

Today they had the Rescue ski-doo out. Nobody was in danger so it was either a false alarm or a test.

Then we walked though town, and I realized there are several stores (clothing and barbers) who cater directly to servicemen; with Camp Pendelton so close, this makes sense. 

Good things to Eat

Here's something excellent - Peppermint and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, in little single serving pans.

 Oh, mercy, yes!

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This time Randy made his Sourdough recipe in a Pullman pan. Standard use of a Pullman pan includes baking with the top on, but I asked him to leave it off so the bread would have a curved top. So now I have delicious bread for sandwiches. I so love this stuff. 

Julienne's health

Last night Julienne had another seizure. Randy held her, I gave her some Rescue Remedy, and when it passed, she spent the night snuggled between us. 

We can't lose her yet. She has finally regained her sunny disposition, shaking off the depression that started in the fall of 2012 when we lost Sugarbaby. She loves to go for walks and chaise rabbits on the Museum grounds. She plays with Shorty and naps with Randy; we need her.

Cat vs Dog: Stand-off

Missy decided to take a nap in the sun when she discovered, just like Baby Bear, that someone was in her bed! Shorty didn't want to move so she just sat there, staring him down and making him too nervous to relax. When he finally decided to move, he realized that she had him cornered. Awkward!

Eventually I distracted them, giving them both an opportunity to jump down. I haven't seen him in her bed since then, but I expect he will be back.

It's mighty dry in Southern California

The rains of spring are less than a memory now. No appreciable rain has fallen since the beginning of March, and the grounds are as dry as dust. 

The only moisture this land has seen is the heavy fog that sometimes shows up in the morning. Today was overcast and we thought it might rain a little, but now it seems to have passed over. Southern California is still a desert!