SoCal no more

It's greetings today from Grants Pass - it was a bit chilly when we woke up to fog this morning but it's now a beautiful, sunny day - and we're just chillin', although I believe a quick trip to Walmart is on the agenda.

Since my last posting we've been to Long Beach (where we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific and also saw the Queen Mary), and spent the Lesinas' last day of vacation down at Crystal Cove - on the beach and in the sea.

But I would just like to say, of all my children it is Lucy I favor the most. I would like you all to know how special she is and therefore, at the time of my demise the 3 others will inherit any debt and Lucy shall get all that is wonderful and of worth....just like her. And yes, cade shall finally get my blackberry as he asked so many years ago, "when Granda Ian dies can I get his blackberry please"

Mmmm - you've guessed - we've had an interloper again.

Anyway, Wednesday at the Aquarium of the Pacific - here's Braeden outside the seal pool:



We went a stroll round the harbour and Scott was taking this one of Cade and Braeden with the Queen Mary as backdrop:



Lucy was feeling a little low today - lack of sleep she said - and it shows in this photo:



We had one of Scott's famous barbeques back at our villa - half a ton of cow - lovely!

On Thursday, the adults walked and the boys scootered down to Crystal Cove and we had a lovely afternoon on the beach and in the water.



Scott and Lucy went to one of the local stores and bought a wonderful side of honey smoked ham for our supper. They had to get to bed as they were planning to be on the road by 3am on Friday morning to beat the LA traffic and get back to Grants Pass at a decent hour.

Jo and I could take our time - we had the whole day before our flight to Medford at 9pm. We had a nice early morning stroll round the State Park then came back for our second breakfast, before checking out and printing off our boarding passes.

We sat by the pool for a while then caught the shuttle bus down to Laguna Beach to go to a bookstore to get something for Jo to read - she had finally finished The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - it's a long book and she thought it would last her until she got to Oregon, but, as I told her, it's a gripping, can't put down book.

Coincidentally, there was a brewpub just 200 yards from the bookshop so we had lunch there, then read and snoozed on the beach before heading back to get our bags and await SuperShuttle to take us back to LAX. It was hardly an ordeal waiting at such a lovely spot outside reception:



Our driver was 5 minutes late, but he only had one other pick-up to make and he seemed to know all the short-cuts in a journey that took us exactly half the three hours that the reverse journey had done a week previously.

So that was our day virtually over - we had time for a snack at the fish restaurant at the Alaska terminal - rather nice - clam chowder and shrimp, washed down with Sam Adams - perfect - until I saw the bill. My beer was $9.50 and Jo's glass of wine was $10.50!

All went to schedule and Lucy was at the airport to pick us up bang on 11pm and we were back in Grants Pass, tucked up in bed in the trailer before midnight.

This posting has been spread over a few hours and it's been a beautiful afternoon - still and sunny, with the temperature climbing to 76F. Scott's putting the ribs on the barbeque as I finish this, so beers are now called for - Bridgeport IPA for me and Newcastle Brown for Scott.