I pointed my compass south yesterday and headed home. Away I went, down 2-lane roads darkened by tall groves of redwoods, over bridges spanning creeks, rivers, bays of silvery water. Through mile after mile of impossibly green hills, row after row of grape vines. Flocks of grazing sheep, coyotes leaping over fences, red-winged blackbirds, turkey vultures, and hawks. Lush pastoral scenes straight from my inner landscape opened as I sped by.
Until at last, I left the verdant north coast wine country and motored on through the central valley of California. Coastal ranges to the west and snow- capped high sierras to the east. Me and my car humming along in the flatland between both.
Over 500 highway miles later, I reached the land of cars and people. Rows of grapes replaced by long strings of cars. Freeways flowing over the hills now instead of streams of bubbling water.
I closed the Mendocino storybook. Left this window far behind. Rumbled across a network of familiar freeways all the way home to my little house, on a little hill, in the middle of the gleaming metropolis. Home to Moss Cottage.
Where I pulled the dogeared copy of LA stories out of my back pocket and picked up where I left off.
Welcome back! I so enjoyed your journey!
I’m having a blast making my ROD journal…..have’t had this much creative time for “me” in a very long time!
I love Mendocino. I grew up in the Bay Area and we would take the occasional short vacation to that beautiful stretch of coastline! The last time I was there it was seriously raining and absolutely gorgeous.
I will be starting my Remains of the Day journal this month. I LOVED your online tutorial! Thank you for that!
Elise
You tell lovely stories and share amazing photographs. I love the picture of the window looking to the outside.
Your vacations are mesmerizing, really. I love mendocino county. life is short. I gotta get up there.
Thanks for the virtual trip! Your photos are lovely and I can almost feel the sea air!
What…seems like I was away for only a while and you have already had another fabulous vacation!! I guess this was the perfect compliment to bright and wild Mexico….
thank goodness I can come here to go away….
You have a lovely blog. I find myself vicariously living through beautiful blogs… Yours is a wonderful addition to my itinerary.
http://piecesofd.blogspot.com
Dianne
Ah, welcome home Mary Ann. You have been missed. I am sure that Corky, Buck and Wyatt Earp are glad you are home too. Hugs.
You are quite the amazing story teller. That is an art in itself. I am so pleased to have found your blog to follow. Keep creating…
not only are your photos fabulous, you can tell a story like there’s no tomorrow!! thanks for sharing your adventure with us!! :)))
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home! Welcome home Mary Ann!
Perhaps a short story book of Moss Cottage?
This is so well written. If i could choose font and size and style, it would be much more emphatic. But to state again, this is so well written.
wow
thank you for your words and the mind that generates them.
MaryAnn, Setting hear reading your post this story of your adventure was so wonderful. As I sit in Pittsurgh with snow and a wind power that I’ve put my Dorthy shoes on when I have to go out with my dog just in case there might be a chance I’ll end up in Oz.:) It’s awful hear and it seems there is so much in Cali that I would love to live there. But at 62 and how does one do this? So for now I’ll push a button and arrive to your blog and just for a moment I’ll pretend I’m there enjoying the red woods the “ocean” and the stories you bring me. Welcome Home to your Moss Cottage.
And all the treasures that are there when you open your door.
Linda
That last shot is perfect; I can feel the crisp air and moody horizon as if I were there. xo
*sigh*
Excellent writing and photography. Nicely done! Next time stop in at Stevenswood. You’d love it.
Living in Michigan and experiencing one dreary day after another, your post was most welcome. The redwing black birds don’t come back until early March which is our first sign of spring, hopefully they are thinking about coming back soon. Thanks for your post.
Oh you make me homesick. I grew up in Northern California and when I see images of my favorite haunts I get all mushy. Your photography and words bring it all back. Now I live in Massachusetts, very cold at the moment, so I miss it all the more. I’m glad you had a great time. Thanks for the momentary transport back to my past.
Welcome home.
Can’t wait to hear your next LA story! 🙂
Kx