Adventure 160: Santa Rosa, California/Post D

If there is still time, marry a Mennonite girl who can bake Semel.

The only thing Dame Fate despises more than a complainer is a presumer. My punishment was swift. In a fifth straight win, the Wily Cager skunked me, soundly sending my foul stench down a sorry path. She now owes me a mere $102. Maybe the Cager was inspired by her successful baking of Semel in Frac's oven. We enjoyed the traditional strawberry jam/ cheddar cheese accompaniments along with our usual oatmeal. My defeat was no less palatable with the Cager spitting poppy seeds to my side of the table as she cackled with delight. Misery is as misery does, I suppose. After breakfast, we drove to Bodega Bay, which is less than twenty-five miles from here west on Hwy 12. Bodega Bay is famous for the filming of Alfred Hitchcock's-'The Birds', but you'd have to be of a certain age to remember the movie. The place is literally for the birds. Greg Friesen would be in heaven as flying life forms of all kinds filled the air and bobbed on the water. We rode a total of fifteen miles around the edge of the bay. It was awesome, though Judy's knee hurt a little after three straight days of riding. She declined attempting any sort of incline, although we were forced by traffic to ascend one steep slope. After our ride, we sat in Fric by the bay, ate the picnic lunch she had prepared, and enjoyed watching the pelicans skim the surface of the water. But the best part of the bird watching was a flock of tiny silver white birds that flew in a racing, tumbling flowing flock just over the surface. As they sped, they changed color and formed a moving sculpture of shape made all the more impressive by their reflections on the water. Greg most likely could have enlightened us as to what type of birds they were, but we enjoyed them despite our complete ignorance. On the way back to the trailer, we stopped at the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol, which is located in a historically registered railroad station built in 1903. They have over a hundred bottled beers in stock and brew some excellent concoctions of their own, but the ambience alone is worth a view. We had to enjoy a small taste along with a snack of Korean Tacos (It was HAPPY hour after all). I begged Judy to sell the trailer so we could camp out at the place, but she reminded me that slippery slopes are not merely cliches. Even better, we were able to do our dinner shopping at a Whole Foods store just a few blocks away. We'll listen to game seven and enjoy a feast of BBQ chicken marinated in lemon, rosemary, and olive oil. We'll prepare garlic mashed potatoes and steam some green beans from our garden. Happily, the thin gruel continues, and who doesn't deserve a caloric feast after burning fifteen miles worth of flat riding (Beer calories don't count). I forgot to mention that the truck thermometer read 82 degrees on the way back to the trailer. Welcome to California. Ever thankful, we're glad that life is good, especially today.


 Judy showing off the first batch of Semel ever baked in the new trailer.

 Just to the right of this magnificent coastline is the protected waters of Bodega Bay.

 Judy, auditioning for a spot in the Audubon Society.

 This place is for the birds, or at least the Society members think so.

 The view South.

 Bodega Bay.

 This place had at least thirty portraits of Alfred Hitchcock, and the baked goods looked so good we were sorry we had packed a picnic lunch.

 We did share a devilishly rich gluten free brownie.

 Judy tried to encourage Alfred to cast her in his new movie.

 Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church. Ansel Adams photographed this building in 1953. 

 Judy, my official taster, had to try one dark and one light.

 I could only DREAM of a lower blood sugar level.

 Korean Tacos: quite delicious.

Home of the Hopmunk Tavern. Go here if you even think beer is a good idea.