Eureka - February 2019

2-3-2019.

Friday, Mary Ann’s grandson from Louisiana arrived and the family had a gathering. I stayed only a short while.

Saturday, Mary Ann’s daughter, who lives in Chico, arrived to do some housecleaning. The family got together again.

In the evening I went to Old Town for Arts Alive. It rained a bit but that did not stop people from enjoying the music and the art galleries.

At one gallery the Humboldt Accordionaires were providing the music. I danced with Path several times.

Her husband plays in the band.

Sunday afternoon I went to the North Coast Repertory Theater and saw the play: Native Garden. It is a comedy and very funny. After the play I saw Mary Ann and her daughter for a short while.

2-10-2019.

Monday was a rainy day. I took a chance and drove to the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Preserve where the Ramblers met for a walk.

I thought I would be the only one there, but five more brave souls showed up. This is the smallest group I walked with. The weather in Eureka was really bad, at the Wildlife Preserve the rain had stopped and we noticed only a few rain drops on our walk.

There are many small ponds at the preserve.

There were 58 white swans. The rangers had counted them. They spend the winter in Humboldt County. Unfortunately, the trail was too far from the birds and I took a picture with the telephoto lens. Without a tri-pot it is very difficult to get a sharp picture, when using the telephoto lens. Nearby where also some Canadian geese.

When I came back to the Moose Lodge there was some snow on the ground. While driving through the city I did not see any. The lodge is on a hill and there was snow for a short while. The temperature this morning was 37 degrees F.

I danced at the lodge. Everybody asked how Mary Ann is doing.

Tuesday morning my car was all iced up, not only the windshield. The temperature in the car was 31 degrees F.

Before lunch, at the Senior Center, I did some dancing. On the first Tuesday of the month they have a band there. Joann had come and we danced almost every dance.

In the evening I went to the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts where The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats performed. It was a wonderful, exciting show.

Wednesday was not a good day. Since Mary Ann felt better, and told me to sleep again in the motorhome, I have not seen much of her. I was not invited to the family gatherings and meals.

I had a strange feeling that my relationship with Mary Ann was in trouble.

I called her Wednesday morning and ask her when I could see her. She had another friend at the house, and the friend took her to the hairdresser and then they went out to eat.

I called Mary Ann at 2:00 PM and she was not home yet. She called me back at 2:30 PM and told me that she was home.

I went to her house and she told me that she can not live with a man. She said her house is too small.

Before the operation she had told me that she can not travel with me because of her cat. I had offered to put a litter box in the shower of the motorhome and I would take pills to ease my cat allergy. She declined that offer because she is afraid the cat would get out of the motorhome and disappear.

Since I am getting older I figured I would not give up a good woman because of traveling and did not say much anymore.

If I would have gone to Quartzsite in the middle of January and joined the WINs there, I would have had more fun than what I did the last two months.

I left Mary Ann’s house as a friend. I refuse to get angry at this time of my life.

Unfortunately, some of my female friends are leaving town. Susie is moving back to the San Diego area and Joan bought a house in Grants Pass, Oregon and will spend some of her time there, and some of it in Eureka. She has a child in both places.

After getting the bad news from Mary Ann I drove to Northwood Chevrolet and left my Saturn there. They will start it tomorrow morning and listen to the noise the car makes when the engine is cold.

I took the bus to get back to the Moose Lodge.

Thursday Morning I took the bus to the Senior Center. After lunch I walked to Northwood Chevrolet. They were two mechanics short and had not looked at my car.

I got on the next bus and went home. They called me later and told me that one of the manifolds is cracked. They have to order parts. I will pick up the car tomorrow morning and use it until the parts come in.

Friday morning I picked up the car and after eating lunch at the Senior Center went for a long walk.

Saturday it rained all day. At 1:00 PM I went to the library to see a movie. One Saturday a month they show a “Stupid Movie” and have a scientist or other knowledgeable person explain what is real or made up by Hollywood.

This movie was partly made in Victorian Ferndale. The whole town was isolated in the movie because of a dreadful disease.

A person from the county health department answered questions after the film.

Sunday the Swiss Club had a fundraiser at the Moose Lodge.

The band” Real Country” provided the music.

During the break the Accordionaires were playing.

2-17-2019.

Monday the sky was still dark and it could have rained any minute.

I put on my rain gear and drove to the Arcata Marsh Visitor Center. We walked around the ponds. There were many birds but the cold wind did not make it pleasant.

On the way home I stopped at the Post Office and sent the first edition of my autobiography to my sister in Germany.

I had it printed many years ago. My life has changed since then and I remembered more over the years.

The two-pound book cost $ 37.50 to ship.

In the evening I danced at the lodge.

Tuesday was another cold, windy day. I started walking in the neighborhood but changed my mind and drove to the Bayshore Mall and walked inside.

My Advance Directive group had planned a meeting on Wednesday. Two members live in the forest, in higher elevations.

One member was snowed in. Her husband and some young helpers were busy removing fallen trees from their private roadway.

The other lady was just snowed in. Humboldt County has not seen anything like this for over ten years.  

 It was still raining on Thursday. I was looking for something to do in the motorhome. I played a CD in the dashboard radio of the motorhome when the CD did not eject after completion. It happened before, now I will get a new radio. 

Friday morning I dropped off the car at Northwood Chevrolet and took the bus home. Since it rained all day I could not walk and was confined to the motorhome all day.

I took the 3:00 PM bus to go back to Northwood and pick up the car. There was no charge since the repair was under warranty. The car is ten years old and it is strange that there is still a warranty on it. The service manager had told me that he ordered $ 200.00 worth of parts. I did not complain; I was rather happy.

Midnight Special was the band scheduled to play Saturday night at the Moose Lodge. When I walked over to the lodge, instead of the band, a DJ with his equipment was on the stage. Only ten people had shown up. Between the lousy weather and the music I can see why.  I stayed thirty minutes.

Sunday I drove to Ferndale and saw the play: “Taking Steps” at the Ferndale Repertory Theatre. It was a comedy and really funny.
Before the play I watched the Ferndale Fire Department's competition games. Teames would run from the fire truck, connect hoses and blow off, with the water, an object placed on a blue barrel.

The next project was transferring  water with buckets from one large container to another.

On the way home I stopped and walked part of the Hikshari Trail. The wind was cold near the water. But it did nor rain.

2-25-2019.

Monday morning I walked with the Ramblers on the Humboldt Bay Trail. It was cold but the sun was shining. Birds were sunning themselves.

Tuesday was another cold, sunny day. I drove to Sequoia Park to walk, but parked the car and walked in the neighborhood. I stopped at Susie’s house. She is getting ready to move back to the San Diego area. She bought a house in Oceanside. I am losing another friend.

Joan sent me an E mail. She returned from Oregon and is ready to join me walking as soon as she gets over a cold.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I did some walking, and installing a new radio, CD player in the dashboard of the motorhome. First, I had to fix the dashboard. A piece of the plastic had broken off. I bought some aluminum and used super glue to hold it back together.

Saturday was another rainy day. I walked in the Bay Shore Mall.

Sunday was not different. It just kept raining. I went to the mall to walk and also worked on my income taxes.
 

2-28-2018.

It rained the rest of the month.

Monday through Thursday I went to the Senior Center for lunch and then went to the Bayshore Mall and walked. Other people had the same idea.

Tuesday I walked with Joann and Gary at the mall. When Joann saw two of her female friends, she walked with them. She had enough of Gary and I talking about airplanes.

Back at the motorhome I cooked big meals. One day I made Beef Stroganoff, and another day Pot Roast. Some of it went in the refrigerator and some of it in the freezer.

I also finished reading a German book and the autobiography of Alexander Graham Bell.

Thursday I walked in Old Town and in the evening Joan and I went to the Redwood Curtain Theater and saw the play: “Everybody”. It is a strange play. Some people liked it and gave heavy applause.