Eureka - October 2018

October 7, 2018.

The Ramblers did an easy walk on Monday. Because of rain in the forecast we walked the new Bay Trail. There was a new bench.

In the evening Mary Ann and I danced at the Moose Lodge.

Tuesday, before lunch, I danced at the Senior Center. Joann and I were the only dancers.

After lunch I did my walk and then went back to the motorhome. The people from Redding, who took my favorite site while I was with Nicolette and Jacob on tour, left this morning and I moved into the empty site. Now I have to walk only 100 steps to get to the lodge.

Wednesday, I invited Mary Ann for a spaghetti dinner at my home. Since she is half Italian, I thought it would be appropriate, besides it is an easy meal to prepare.

I even bought a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses. I drank lemonade.

Thursday, I walked the Hikshari Trail. There is a new stone bench on the trail. Nobody will carry that bench away.

Friday, I walked with the Ramblers the Foothill and the Prairie Creek Trail in the Prairie Creek State Park.

When we got to the first trail it started to drizzle, but it lasted only a short while.

It was fall in the forest. The leaves are slowly coming down.

There were beautiful mushrooms on one tree.

We ate our lunch at the visitor center. Only half of the group was still there.

Small trees were growing on a fallen tree.

Saturday morning I went for a few minutes to the Creek Festival. The band was playing Creek music and a few people were dancing folk dances.

At 3:00 PM, Mary Ann and I left for the Oktoberfest at the Taylor’s house in Rio Dell. Erika, one of the dancers at the Moose Lodge, and her son and daughter in law were the hosts. They served imported German bratwurst, warm potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, German and American beer, soft drinks, and wine.

Since it looked like it would rain, they had a cover installed in the driveway.

Jim, the host, was taking care of the bratwurst.

Erika poses in front of the hot food.

A little group from the Moose Lodge stayed together.

Lindy Mantova provided the music. The garage had a beautiful floor and we were able to dance.

The American, German and Bavarian flags were flying in the wind.

Jim organized a beer stein holding contest. The person who could hold the stein the longest won.

The stein for the women was smaller. More women than men participated.

This was a great party; we had a lot of fun.

Sunday afternoon Mary Ann and I spent at the Swiss Club. They had their Oktoberfest. We ate more bratwurst and sauerkraut, and potato salad.

Lindy provided the music again. I danced almost every dance. I did not dance the chicken dance. Mary Ann did.

October 14, 2018.

In the morning I drove Mary Ann to the airport in Arcata. She is flying to New Orleans to visit her grandson. He will drive her to Mississippi to visit his mother.

At noon I went to the Olli Brown Bag Lunch session. Senior News editor Ted Please talked about the state of the news.

In the evening I danced at the Moose Lodge.

Tuesday evening, I went to the library and enjoyed another Orson Welles film. Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles were the main actors in: “The Lady from Shanghai”.

Wednesday, I had dinner with my friend Susie at the Banana Hut restaurant. She told me about her recent visit to Carlsbad. She is trying to buy a house in Camino Hills, the gated community, were Doreen and I used to live.

She will sell her house in San Marcos.

I told her about my relationship with Mary Ann. Susie has no time for a man. She is every week in a different city or state.

Nicolette turned seventeen today.

Thursday, after eating lunch at the Senior Center, I walked with Joan part of the Bay Trail. Joan and I are good friends. A few weeks ago, she gave me two big pieces of halibut. Her son had caught the fish. I broiled it right away and I had three meals of a good tasting steak of the sea.

After the walk I had the engine oil changed in the car.

Friday morning, I had a beautiful walk, with the Ramblers, on the Hikshari Trail. We extended the walk and hiked also on the beach.

Saturday, I drove to Arcata to meet hikers, who were walking with the Sierra Club in Horse Mountain. I was the only one there.

Instead I walked the Hammond Trail in McKinleyville.

When I came back to the motorhome I checked the Journal newspaper and noticed that I was one day early for the Horse Mountain walk.

Sunday morning, I finally got to hike in the Horse Mountain Botanical Area. Ned, our Sierra Club guide had made his own trail through the bushes. He had red ribbons attached to branches of trees and bushes. It was not an easy hike.

Years ago, there was a ski slope here. All what is left is a chimney. The buildings are gone.

We had a well deserved lunch break.

We could see in the distance the snow covered top of Mt. Shasta.

We climbed a large rock and enjoyed the view over the valley.

On our way back, the Honda CR-V of our guide broke down. The odometer had just turned to 200,000 miles. The engine stopped at the stop sign at highway 299. We were able to push the car to the side of the road. This made it a long day, but we had fun.

10-21-2018.

Monday, I walked with the Ramblers in Lolita, on the old railroad tracks to the one half mile long tunnel.

Before the tunnel the tracks are overgrown with grass and weeds.

Inside the tunnel is much graffiti. Some is actually great.

We waited at the other end for some stragglers.

We made it back.

My next stop was the Lolita Cheese Factory. I bought some cheese with dill in it. I was surprised nobody of the group came and had lunch in the garden. In the garden are several places with tables and chairs.

Tuesday evening, I had a choice dancing at the Swiss Club or going to the library and watching another Orson Wells film.

I went to the library and stayed twenty minutes. “Touch of Evil” is too violent for me. In the last four weeks I have been very happy and this film does not fit in with my present life.

Wednesday evening I picked up Mary Ann at the airport in Arcata. She arrived at 8:00 PM. She had fun visiting her daughter and family but is happy to be at home again.

Thursday, I cooked shepherds pie and took it over to Mary Ann’s house. We ate it there.

Friday evening, Mary Ann volunteered again to be a cashier for “Cook your own Steak” at the Elks Lodge. After dinner, she and her partner have to count the money, and then eat their dinner.

When she was done she joint me for dancing. I did not like the band. They played for young people, who were not there.

Saturday, Mary Ann and I drove to Arcata and had lunch at the Oriental Buffet.

Sunday afternoon I went to Fortuna to see Jacob play soccer. His team played against the team from Petrolia. His team won by 8 to 3 goals.

In the evening I went to Mary Ann’s house for dinner. I met her sister and her husband there. I had met her mother before.

October 28, 2018.

Monday morning, I walked the Elk River Trail with the Ramblers.

From there I went to an informative talk about the prepositions on the ballot for the upcoming elections.

Wednesday afternoon I went to Jacob’s soccer practice.

Friday afternoon I walked on the new Bay Trail. Some people had added graffiti on the wall below the library. Some of it was actually art.

The weather was perfect and the sky and the boats in the marina made a very good picture.

There are now new signs at the metal benches, explaining who fabricated the benches and what inspired the artist.

The trail has several aluminum bridges.

Seats and the design on the floor are inspired by local Native Americans.

There is one very long bridge over the marsh.

Other people were enjoying the trail too.

In the evening Mary Ann and I went to the Ferndale Repertory Theater to enjoy: "Young Frankenstein". It is a very funny play.

Saturday, I walked on the boardwalk where pigeons were enjoying the sun.

The fountain at the gazebo was turned on today.

In the evening Mary Ann and I went to the Elks lodge for the Halloween dinner and dance.

We did not come in costumes. Scott did though. He enjoyed his Elvis outfit.

Claudia had bought the costume for Scott, she did not wear one.

We posed in front of the pumpkins.

Mary Ann was one of the judges. Scott won one of the prices.

Sunday, I went to see Jacob play soccer. He shot a coal. This cost his father ten dollars.
I went for a short time to see Mary Ann. Her cold came back.She is coughing again.

October 31, 2018.

Monday morning, I walked with the Ramblers at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Fifteen minutes into the walk it started to rain. It was a short rain, but we all got wet.

In the evening Mary Ann and I danced at the Moose Lodge. She recovered from the cold and is fine again.

Tuesday evening, I went to the library and saw another film by Orson Wells. This time it was Macbeth.

Wednesday, at lunch at the Senior Center, we celebrated Halloween. They had a little parade.

This was a very good month for me. I spent some time with Mary Ann. We enjoy each other company and have the same interests.