O'K.....all right...........l have been on the Central Coast here in California and somehow after all the excitement and wonderful traveling in Mexico with friends, l thought this gypsy would slow down a bit. The truth is when you have been out of the country half a year or more, you tend to want to see all the old amigos, want the new amigos to join you and the rest has been just a fabulous summer. l have to admit l love people and dear amigos honestly just become more dear to me.
After settling back into my little casita l started the summer with an amigo that convinced me we should be in Lake Tahoe to see the fireworks over the 4th of July. Pretty dramatic views of mountain ridges in the distance still snow capped......the casinos more than kept me entertained at night. Everywhere we drove the views were magnificent, ahh summertime in Tahoe.......such magic.
Esalan on a sunny day and world music, beautiful people, organic food............aaahhhhhhhhh, but another highlight for the summer has been driving to and from San Francisco, staying with Utley, visiting museums, Picasso at the De Young, Stein Collection at MOMA, excellent food, shopping in the Haight, refamiliarizing myself with the city just reminds me how stimulating San Francisco truly is.....Each neighborhood l visited had eye catching creative windows, (like little red riding hood in the Haight) boutiques, wonderful ethnic restaurants..........this is the type of city one could kiss the ground with joy at just being wrapped in fog or being at one of the city's peaks with views that leave you breathless and oh the dim sum............yummy, yummy...........
Another adventure of a very different sort was a gift, from another dear amigo...........l was a guest of Brother Angelo at the Mission in Santa Barbara.........after all the tourist left for the day and there were hoards of them brought by buses............the grounds surrounding the mission quiet down, a big full moon lit the gardens casting shadows surrounding small cell size rooms. One would never guess, ever how peaceful, quiet and spiritual the entire Mission can be..........and it was a gift in more ways than a gypsy can write clearly about...........
Just to make sure l didn't get to emeshed with California, (l crossed the state on the coast at least four or five times) l packed my bags and headed to the badlands to visit some amigos who live in New Mexico, Santa Fe to be exact......Oh those clouds, those clouds.......wow............Hatch known for the best chili in the U.S. was being roasted all over the city.......Missed all the thousands who come to the area, as Indian Week was over, but l was able to see my amigos jewelry work at Packard's on the square........l had to visit Chimayo and found it had changed dramatically........new buildings, a bigger finished outside chapel. Driving the high road to Toas, more homes but still very rural and historically still the center of ancient Hispanic traditional art............
Now as much of a gypsy as l am, l managed to have wonderful friends visit this summer, Fred from Arizona, Janet from Oregon, Utley from San Francisco, Joan, Charlie from La Ganitas, Jim, Dana and Kitty from Truckee...........running around with my local amigos, Sheila, Dena, Tasha, Laura, Julia, Fran,Charlotte, Dorothy, Doug, John, Frank .
Next, l leave this part of the coast, the Monterey Peninsula in another week, heading the migration with other amigos South for the winter........l will spend time in San Diego, onto Arizona and eventually back in Mexico...........this gypsy is all ready planning a big trip once l get there...............
