the morning was blustery as i left the cottage and went looking for a new path across the headlands. the grassy trail was wet with frost. a silver glaze on every blade of grass, every pine needle and cone. corduroy jacket, scarf, gloves. 41 degrees feels freezing when you’re not used to it!
how good to fill my lungs with cold sea air. soon i was above jughandle beach looking down at swells rolling onto the beach. filling the cove with foamy waves. i stood for awhile looking down at the water and listening to its roar. oh me, oh life!
later i tucked into a cafe with coffee and journal.
back to the cottage.
back to the headlands.
into fort bragg to check out houses. like santa rosa there were lots of options, and they’re even cheaper here on this north coast that’s sealed off from the rest of the world. i wondered if i could leave LA county with it’s 10.5 million citizens and relocate up here to mendocino county- population 87,000. yes. i think so. but i wish i didn’t have to wait at least 5 years to do it. of course, i would rent for a year before making a more permanent commitment. thoughts. i’m thinking them.
yesterday a walk at big river beach where you can walk forever at low tide. rock caves, sea stacks, beach after beach formed by the massive bluffs.
i’m intoxicated by the sheer variety of paths and trails and beaches. sigh.
Hello Mary Ann… we are on parallel paths of sorts – I too am searching for where to land for my next chapter in life. And …Ive been visiting the same kind of places as you have this year – Mendocino, Glass beach, Central Coast, and San Juan Islands to name a few. I read intently all your posts looking for gems of experience that I may have missed or perhaps should consider. I really appreciate your sharing so much on your blog. This cottage in Mendocino looks divine! May I ask if you found it on VRBO or the like?
As an avid sketchbook artist myself, I hope to one day enter a cafe and find you there with yours…
Karen
Hi Karen,
I love knowing there are other women out there looking for their next place to land. The cottage is a rental from airbnb…in yesterday’s post i added the link to the comments..someone asked about it.
i’ll keep my eyes open for you in the cafe with sketchbook :-))
Good Life indeed! The beauty of Northern California calls to me… big sigh!
Very southern Oregon would be worth checking into. The weather is quite mild and you are near the ocean. Brookings is one of the places I was thinking about. The weather reports always make me envious. I am very confident you will LOVE retirement. I do even though it took a while to realize I could do what ever I wanted whenever I wanted. The dream.
Oooh…I’m so envious! I wish I were there right now!
My mom rented a condo in Florida for six months when she retired. She had thought she wanted to retire there, but ended up moving back here to Pa. Your plan sounds like a good one. She’s still here, 80 and going strong.
your mom is wise. you NEVER know…
I love the kitchen area in your quaint little cove cabin.
Mendicino – What a great option for retiring! Now you’ve got me thinking…
Have a happy holiday MAM, and thank you for another year of fabulous escapism blogging.
… and oh, p.s., do take lots of pictures of the colored sea glass beach in Ft. Bragg if you go!
just got home from a romp there this morn!
Mendocino has a piece of my heart, especially since I like cooler, emptier, weirder spots. Good choice. I’m here in SF trying to make Christmas magic for a couple of unappreciative middle schoolers. There are gorgeous moments with these two, when I feel privileged to watch them unfold. And there are moments when I want to time travel back a few years when they were so sweet and rowdy still, but smaller. They have a whole school day today–I’m going to take advantage of the solitude and try to draw. Thanks for the postcards!
Cortney
oh i do love SF!!! and if i move up here i’ll need to visit regularly for my big city fix. happy day alone!
So happy for your getaway. You are in one of my favorite places. If you take yourself out for dinner, one of our all time favorite places in Ft. Bragg is Django’s Rough Bar.
oh good to know, thanks dena!
What a magical place, and your photos are outstanding! Mendocino looks like a wonderful place to spend the rest of your life. Go for it!
thank you! once upon a time i only used my nikon, but these days it’s all about the iphone. cause, you know, it’s easier!
Oh, didn’t you just pick the best, best little cottage to stay in? It’s lovely and the countryside is, too.
Fort Bragg is so interesting, too-we were just there in October and loved all that they had to offer-good thrift stores, nice restaurants, lots going on in the community should you wish it. But peace and quiet abound, as well. It’s SOOO quiet at night.
One more thing in Mendocino (well, maybe three more things!): Be sure to stop in at Mendocino Jams-Larry & Sue are quite wonderful people and when we stopped there, she offered me a job there! I have never eaten better jam in my whole life-we are enjoying Ollalieberry right now.
Cafe Beaujolais was a special night out and exquisite on Ukiah Street and Trillium Cafe for lunch was just lovely and quiet-such pretty gardens outside their windows and lovely food-nice quiet atmosphere. And the market was a field trip in itself.
Enjoy everything there-you deserve it.
aw thanks sandy!
I spy Cipe Pineles on vacation with you! Thanks for sharing your adventure. You have the knack of making yourself cozy and at home whatever your location.
amen to homey vibes when traveling! did you tell me about the CP book? someone did… it’s fab!
If I was to live in California, that is definitely where I’d want to live. So beautiful, and quiet – I think it would be very you!
i remember you mentioning it as a possible relocation town once upon a time!
Such beauty! And your work table where this craft monkey spies bananas! ❤️
every monkey needs their potassium!
Oh…to dream. Looks amazing!!! Green…me that is!
Thanks for the peak, Mary Ann! Looks delightful…
Just wonderful. I am so happy for you, feeling your joy.
Thanks for sharing & letting us tag along. ♥
thanks jacki 🙂