Category Archives: Orleans

I just scanned a few old posts and see I never finished writing about my trip. One of my goals is to make an Orleans, CA page that I can link to with photos and maps since it’s a small town on a two lane highway in the mountains with two gas pumps, a café and a tiny grocery store and it’s unusual to find anyone who’s heard of it.

The discussion usually goes something like, “You mean New Orleans?” “No, Orleans.” “Oh, I’ve never heard of it.” Then you say Humboldt County and can usually get some name recognition there. I’ve traveled to some pretty far off places where they’ve heard of Humboldt County. But the webpage thing remains on my to do list.

My normal summer visit in at the end of August and a huge number of extended family are there and it’s fun but hectic. (By huge number let’s say around 20 grownups and another 20 kids ranging in age from 15 to baby sproglet.) Bob went to the High Sierra Music Festival the first week of July and suggested I visit the family during that time. Also, my Dad’s birthday is 4th of July and I haven’t celebrated with him in a long time. Very quiet visit with lots of reading and daily swimming trips. I spent more time in a bathing suit that week than I have in the past 3 years. My bathing suit is old and grotty but since I rarely have occasion to wear one, I can make them last awhile.

There’s a point where the elastic turns on you and I’ve reached that point and should probably see if I can find a new one. And there’s no better place for bathing suit shopping than Portland Oregon in the middle of July. (sarcasm). I just found these attempts back in 2001 (here, here, and here.) My current suit I found in 2004.

I went to the river with Mom and my Aunties and they do these Cryptic Crosswords. Have you ever seen these? They have a clue like: Man on horse: plumber? and the answer is: Mephistophiles. I know. I never got it either. You have to be a total brainiac and even then, the group mind is critical for working on these puzzles. I got one clue per puzzle we did and this after staring at the clue for 2 and ½ hours. I’m going to get Cryptic Crosswords for Dummies this winter and practice so next summer I’m ready.

I’ll tell one other story before I run. I’m not a cat person. It’s not like I hate cats, I just don’t love them and would characterize my interest in living with one as: not at all. My Dad used to not be a cat person but now my parents have two cats. They were feral cats who have been tamed (and enjoy free meals). One is very shy (name: Shy Boy) and keeps a low profile when I’m visiting. The other one is much friendlier (name: Friendly) and its favorite thing to do is crawl on your lap while you’re reading and knead its nails into your thighs. Then it drools on you. I kicked Friendly off my lap one morning and it went downstairs and returned awhile later with a flapping bird in its mouth. What a cutie.

Because I am lame I had no gut instinct about how to react to this so I said: “Ack! Ack! Mom! Make it go away!” And Mom chased the cat out of the house and Dad chased the cat out of the garage. The poor kitty had to rip up the bird somewhere else.

Wow. Fabulous trip. Exactly what I needed. I kept a few notes about what I did and a typical day says: wake up early, read, pick raspberries, go swimming, eat dinner, early to bed.

I’ll probably write more about it tomorrow. I’m beat right now. I woke up at 1:30a last night and drifted without really sleeping until morning. I finally just got up and packed and hit the road. I keep having this weird dream where I think I’m awake but I can’t move and I tell myself, “This feels like a dream, but I know I’m awake and I’m going to move now,” and then I can’t move. It’s really disturbing.

It was over 100 the past two days and I was expecting the drive home to have furnace-like qualities but it was mild and I kept the window down the entire time until I hit Portland and then it felt too hot and turned on the air. (Of course now my eyeballs feel like felt covered golf balls dipped in battery acid.)

The first thing I did when I got home was crack open a cold beer. Then I turned on the computer. Then I checked my dahlias. Lots of flowers out there now.

I’m going to go and wash the car before I run out of steam.

Luis, Geena, Lillian, Josa, Annie and Jack.

The fire fighting helicopter filling up in the Klamath. Bob took the above two.