Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #5 Icy Strait Point, Alaska June 1, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #5

Icy Strait Point, Alaska
June 1, 2011

One of the ports that we have been looking forward to on this trip to Alaska is Icy Strait Point near the Tlingit Indian village of Hoonah. Hoonah boasts the largest population of Tlingit Indians – 875! What once was a community built around the fishing industry and canning, has now transformed itself into a popular cruise port and home of the tallest and longest zip line. And, yes friends, I am going to do the zip line today at Icy Strait Point!

Icy Strait is a tender port – meaning that the ship must anchor out in the bay of Port Frederick and shuttle passengers to and from the ship to the pier by way of the ship’s tenders. We had an early breakfast in our cabin and then gathered our things to meet our fellow zippers in the lounge for our tender. There were many sea lions swimming in the waters around the ship before we got underway.

Once on shore, we had to sign a waiver and release form and receive our wrist bands showing we had paid and were approved to board the bus that would take us on a 45 minute ride up the sea level to about 1,800 feet where we would then zip down the mountain in about 90 seconds!

The bus ride was quote enjoyable with our Tlingit driver, Jimmy Dalton. He said he was a native of Hoonah; and we therefore found it peculiar that he had to read his welcome in his native language instead of actually knowing the language. Nonetheless, he was quite delightful and full of interesting tidbits about the area and his Indian heritage. The panoramic views along the way were breathtaking. Looking down on the Spaska River Valley and Port Frederick was beautiful; but after a while, we found ourselves up in the clouds with no view at all.

Jimmy let us off at the top of the mountain where we had to then hike down about 5-10 minutes to the zip line platform. There was a nice, crackling fire burning in a clearing nearby; and while others chose to go out onto the platform and wait their turn to zip, we chose to stay with Bev and Bob and Jim and Mary around the fire. Ours was the last group of six zip riders to experience the thrill of this adventure. And, let me tell you – it was a thrill!

We each had our own canvas seat where we were harnessed in tightly and instructed to put our feet out in front of us on the door of our respective gates. I was at Gate No. 5 and Jim was at Gate No. 6. I had my little camcorder in my hand and wrapped around my wrist and held up tight against the strap of my harness; and when the countdown began, it was filming! The gates opened and I was out of the shoot like a rocket! We were in the clouds for about the first third of our way down the mile cable; and then we were greeted with a spectacular view across Icy Strait over towards Glacier Bay. Incredible! Exhilarating! Exciting! I was going 60 miles an hour flying through the air but it did not seem that fast to me! 90 seconds goes by too quickly; and our ride was ended abruptly at the bottom of the mountain where the brakes grabbed and jolted us all to a stop. I did it! And, we indulged in the traditional Zipper Shot afterwards with Jim and Mary – a combination of vodka and orange liqueur. It warmed us up and felt good on my throat. I became almost instantly hoarse after my ride.

After walking through the museum a bit afterwards and making a couple of purchases in one of the local shops where I got a gorgeous Tlingit Indian silk scarf with colors of black, red and a bronze, we enjoyed some good fish and chips out on the deck overlooking the bay. The clouds above gave way to warm sunshine and we were blessed again with another glorious day in Alaska!

I am trying to figure out how to upload my 2 minute zip line video complete with screaming out of the gate! Once I do, I’ll share with all of you!

We caught a tender back to the ship and we decided to take advantage of the laundry where we did a couple of loads of wash and got that all taken care of before most of the passengers got back to the ship. That worked out really well. It costs $2.00 in quarters per load of wash with no charge for the dryers.

At 4:00 p.m. MS Amsterdam left Icy Strait Point and began our voyage up to Anchorage. Jim and I played afternoon Trivia today - the topic was Alaska. Guess who won! You got it! I guess it would be pretty bad if an Alaska Destination Specialist didn't win Alaska Trivia huh? We won Holland America coasters! Tomorrow will be at relaxing day at sea. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #4 Juneau, Alaska May 31, 2011

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #4

Juneau, Alaska
May 31, 2011

Once again we woke to clear, blue skies and felt so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy Juneau on such a gorgeous day. We cruised down the Gastineau Channel towards Juneau and arrived there about 7:00 a.m. Our hot coffee was delivered to the room by 7:30 a.m., and we began getting ready for a very special day. We had no idea how truly incredible the day would be; but as it greeted us, we welcomed it with arms wide open!

It is not often that I actually get to meet my clients. Because most of my clients come from the internet, they live all over the world! Today, however, was different. I had arranged a custom trip to Alaska for Rick & Mary from Minnesota – and as luck would have it, they arrived in Juneau to begin their Alaska adventure yesterday – and when Jim & I got off the Amsterdam this morning, we met them! Rick & Mary and their son Matt met us in front of the Red Dog Saloon and after hugs all around, we wandered over to the Paradise Café for a little breakfast.
We discovered Paradise Café with Mark and Debbie last year on our Cruise West Inside Passage cruise from Juneau to Seattle. They served delicious food then and they did not disappoint this year either! I enjoyed a delicious and light homemade frittata while others had breakfast burritos or quiche. Rick bough “breakfast dessert” – a heavenly piece of berry cobbler. While that was passed around the table so we could all indulge, we sat and talked for quite awhile and enjoyed getting to know each other. Then we took off on our adventure in Juneau.

As we walked up Franklin Street (the main street for souvenir shops), we passed an old building marked Juneau Laundry. It was concrete and 1917 was stamped into the front face of the building. Franklin Street has quite a dramatic incline. Our destination was up to 5th Street and St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. As many times as we have been to Juneau, neither of us could ever recall visiting this church. It is a small white octagon shape building with a sky blue roof and painted gold trim and cross on top. She faces downtown Juneau from her perch on the hill and has a beautiful view. The church holds 75 standing parishioners on Sunday mornings.

After visiting St. Nicholas, our next destination was the Alaska State Capital building. It is a mighty building of solid granite and also stands near St. Nicholas Church facing downtown Juneau and the Gastineau Channel. We went into the lobby briefly and saw two handsome wooden carvings on both sides of the entrance on the walls. They depicted life during the Gold Rush era. About half a block away in front of another government building, is an enormous bronze statue of a bear.

We met up again with Rick & Mary and Matt for lunch at the Twisted Fish Restaurant near the tramway building for Mount Roberts. While we enjoyed our lunch, the conversation and company was better; and before we knew it, it was time for Rick, Mary and Matt to be picked up for their Photo Safari by Land & Sea of Juneau. Meeting my clients and actually getting to know them and spend a little time with them on the trip that I had put together for them was an incredibly special thing for me. Thank you Mittelstadts for giving me the opportunity to help you with your Alaskan adventure!

Our afternoon continued with our river float on the Mendenhall River. A motor coach picked us up near our ship at 4:00 p.m. and we were taken out to Mendenhall Glacier Lake which is about 15 miles north of downtown Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier is part of the Juneau Ice Field – the fifth largest ice field in the U.S.

After putting on our yellow, rubber overalls and knee high rubber boots and life jackets, we were all assigned to our raft and guide. After the 10 of us climbed into the rubber raft, our guide, Kevin shoved us offshore and away we went. The wind was blowing strongly; there were white caps on Mendenhall Lake ¬ and for the life of me, I do not understand why they put the rafts in the water on the far side of the lake making it necessary for the guides to paddle backwards to cross the lake and enter Mendenhall River! Crossing the lake in these conditions took about 45 minutes; and we never got to see the face of the glacier!

Once we reached the head of Mendenhall River, the four guides waited for all to catch up and begin the journey down. The glacial waters were now calm and the river was quite peaceful. There are homes all along the river with large decks and spectacular views. Many people were out in their yards today and waved as we floated by. There were a couple of places on the rover with Class 1 rapids, but nothing large or dangerous.

The highlight of our river float was one of the people in the front raft spotting a bear cub in the water along the river’s edge. It was a brown bear with a spot of beige on the chest. The cub scurried up the embankment and disappeared too soon for us to get any really good pictures. But! The mama bear was nearby, and came meandering through the brush along the river and followed the edge to a clearing about 25-30 feet away from our rafts. She stopped when she got to the clearing, almost as if she was posing for us and saying she gave her approval to take her picture! We floated by all too quickly; but I guarantee you that those cameras were clicking away as fast as those shutters would let us click them! Not too much farther down river, someone else spotted a bald eagle resting on a piece of driftwood right along the river embankment. He had his back to the river and so the pictures I got did not show the handsome face of this majestic bird.

At the end of our 5 mile river float, we landed in a clearing under the bridge of the highway. We took off our rain gear and were treated to some reindeer sausage and salmon dip with crackers and hot cider to warm us up. The motor coach took us all back to the Amsterdam around 9:00 p.m.

Jim and I had dinner that night in the Canaletto Italian restaurant onboard the Amsterdam because the Lido buffet was already closed. He enjoyed Chicken Marsala while I indulged in some bowtie pasta with fresh seafood in a light olive oil and garlic sauce with freshly grated Parmesano cheese on top. I somehow feel obligated to have the fresh seafood while I am in Alaska. It was delicious!

The Amsterdam left Juneau after 10:00 p.m. while the sun was just setting in the west. The lights of the city were just starting to come on and twinkle in the twilight. We had a spectacular day from beginning to end!

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #3 Tracy Arm Fjord and Twin Sawyer Glaciers

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #3

Tracy Arm Fjord and Twin Sawyer Glaciers
May 30, 2011

We woke early Monday morning – Memorial Day – and began our day with room service bringing us some hot coffee. When we opened the curtains, there was not a cloud in the sky and the waters of Frederick Sound were calm and still; and the snow capped mountains reflected in the mirrored waters below. It was glorious! This is one of God’s Greatest Majesties! We “trekked the deck” for our Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers then went back to our room to grab the camera and we were off to the Crow’s Nest – the area up on the top deck with plate glass windows and nice chairs for viewing.

This area is a rich feeding ground for the humpback whales; and several showed up to say hello as we glided down the channel towards Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glaciers. The whales kept their distance from the ship; but every now and then we could see a tale as one would dive down to feed. The other passengers up in the Crow’s Nest had their binoculars out and ready to spot anything that surfaced. We were between Kuiu Island and Baranof Island in the Chatham Strait when we saw several whales. The waters remained completely calm with not even a ripple from a light breeze. As we passed The Brothers Islands more whales were spotted in the distance; but none ever came close enough to photograph.

As we entered Tracy Arm Fjord, the travel guide on the ship, Jeannette began her narration offering lots of information about the area’s history, geography, topography and wildlife. There were waterfalls everywhere you looked that were cascading down from hundreds of feet up the steep cliffs of the fjord. The striations on the cliffs (lines on the cliffs almost like the circles of a tree trunk) showed where the glaciers had been hundreds of years ago. Every so often an iceberg would float by indicating we were getting close to the Sawyer Glaciers.

It took almost 3 hours to cruise slowly back into the “S” curves of Tracy Arm where the glaciers were. The icebergs became thicker and thicker. Some were white and some were deep colors of blue and turquoise. The ice is so dense that it reflects everything except blue. Unfortunately, the ship’s Captain and pilot did not feel we could safely cruise any farther back than the last turn before you go right to the South Sawyer Glacier. We could see it off in the distance; and we were so close – but still so far away. The river of ice was too thick; and the Amsterdam slowly turned around and retraced our route through the fjord. We saw one baby harbor seal on a bergie bit resting peacefully as its mama swam around the edge keeping a watchful eye out for safety.

We talked with several different people out and about on deck during our time in Tracy Arm and enjoyed getting to know them. It is always interesting to hear their stories of coming to Alaska and where they are from. The passengers are from as far away as Holland and all over the lower 48 states and Hawaii.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and we will be in Juneau. Till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #2 - Ketchikan

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue #2

May 29, 2011 – Ketchikan

We were still under cloudy skies when we arrived in Ketchikan this morning. Lucky for us – no rain! The sidewalks were crowded with passengers from the three cruise ships that were in Ketchikan today.

One of the things I want to do on this cruise is to go revisit some of the places that we visited 10 years ago on our first cruise to Alaska. So, in Ketchikan we went out to Totem Bight Park. It is one of three places where you can see totem poles – both original and ones that were duplicated to preserve the originals back in the early 1930’s.

Ketchikan is on Gravina Island and only accessible by water or air. Ketchikan’s first salmon canning facility was built in 1887; and it is now known as “the salmon capital of the world”. It is also known as “the first city” – not because it was Alaska’s first city, but because it is usually the first city that cruise ship passengers visit on their way north through the Inside Passage. It is the jumping off point for Misty Fjords National Monument. Though we have not been there, I understand the glacial valley is full of waterfalls and sheer granite cliffs where the glaciers were during the Ice Age. Ketchikan gets approximately 130 inches of rain each year; and they proudly display a larger-than-life rain gauge near the cruise dock indicating how much rain has fallen as of that date.

Totem Bight Park is approximately 10 miles north of downtown Ketchikan; and Saxman Village is approximately 13 miles south of downtown. A bight is a small inlet of water or bay. Totem Bight is home to 13 native totem poles facing the Tongass Narrows. There are 22 poles at Saxman Village. The largest collection of original poles is at the Totem Cultural Heritage Center.

Our visit to Totem Bight Park was interesting. We heard stories of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes and that there are two clans – the raven and the eagle. The other native tribe is the Tshimshian. There is a clan house where the tribe lived. On the outside of the clan house are the carvings indicating which clan lived there. The Tlingit women wove beautiful blankets and baskets from the wool of mountain goats and cedar bark twine. There is a huge fire pit in the middle of the clan house with wooden platforms around all four walls where the families slept. Clan houses are rectangular in shape and most have totems on the edges of the front corners. We saw the tallest totem in Ketchikan at Totem Bight Park and several others that were carved at the bottom then uncarved wood for two-thirds of the way up and a large animal carving at the very top.

One of the other things both Jim and I were looking forward to was indulging in some fresh crab legs at our favorite restaurant in Ketchikan, Steamers. Unfortunately, Steamers did not survive the recession and is no longer in business. The new restaurant was good - but not the same. Sitka Tex sang and played the guitar and fiddle to entertain us while we were there.

After lunch we walked over to Creek Street which is the former red-light district. The wooden houses were built along the Ketchikan Creek and legend has it that the prospectors and men of the town would take the back way in along “Married Men’s Path” to go to be entertained by the ladies in the brothels. The wooden plank walkway curves and the brothels of the Gold Rush era are now home to art galleries and souvenir shops. There are a couple of Tlingit art galleries that have nice handmade Indian crafts.

Ketchikan was under cloudy skies until about 5:00 p.m. when the Amsterdam got underway. We cruised south along Gravina Island down through Nichols Passage and past Metlakatka on Annette Island. The salmon derby opened in Ketchikan today; and we were told that a king salmon larger than last year’s winner had already been caught. We passed several skiffs with the anxious fishermen all standing hoping to catch the winning fish. The waters of Nichols Passage and Clarence Strait were so calm at one point that I thought we just gliding on a mirror. The reflections of the trees on the islands glimmered in the still waters. It was low tide and therefore many of the normally submerged tiny islands were visible in the distance. The snow capped mountains of Price Wales Island jaggedly jutted up against the blue skies. Eventually, a light breeze began to blow and the mirrored waters were replaced with a little ripple. The waters remained calm throughout the night – which made dinner much more enjoyable for me!

Tomorrow – Tracy Arm Fjord cruising – till then…

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue - Day One

Holland America MS Amsterdam Travelogue

May 27-28, 2011 – Embarkation Seattle and day one cruising Inside Passage

The anticipation of a vacation is sometimes as exciting as the actual time away. One thing that made this departure especially fun and exciting for me was a surprise I had arranged with our friends, Rob & Christie who live in Portland. We surprised Jim at Seattle/Tacoma airport! As Jim and I made our way through the terminal and on to Baggage Claim where we were to meet our Holland America representative for our transfer from the airport to the ship, Rob & Christie were there to greet us and yell out “Hey Melvin – need a ride?” The look of surprise on Jim’s face was priceless and immediately turned to smiles and lots of hugs all around. We made our way from Sea/Tac Airport up to the Space Needle in downtown Seattle, where we enjoyed lunch with an incredible 360 degree view from the top! The restaurant rotates every 47 minutes and offers an absolutely beautiful view of Seattle and area.

We flew into Seattle under very cloudy skies and a light misty rain when we disembarked the plane. Miraculously the storm clouds vanished and gave way to the sun and blue skies. It was absolutely glorious! We could see out west to the snow capped Olympic Peninsula and mountains; but Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainer remained hidden behind the thick clouds to the east of Seattle.

Our lunch was delicious; and we enjoyed a glass of wine and toast to dear friends. Each of us ordered something different from the wide variety of offerings on the menu; and we were all happy with our respective choices. After lunch, we walked up to the observation deck of the Space Needle where we could see not only our ship, the Holland America MS Amsterdam in port, as well as Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, Celebrity Infinity and Carnival Spirit. After taking a few pictures of the incredible views, Christie managed to find us a table up in the snack area where we sat and played a game of Euchre – our favorite card game – and the gals got lucky today and won! Whew hew!

Our time with Rob and Christie was over all too soon; and we all felt the same about our time together – it wasn’t enough – but we loved it. They drove us to Pier 91 and after more hugs and thank you’s, we checked in and boarded the ship. There was no one in line in front of us or behind us, for that matter – so checking in a little later definitely has its’ advantages! Many many thanks again for Rob & Christie for our surprise at the airport, delicious lunch and private car transfer to the ship!

The whistle sounded loudly at 5:00 p.m. as we left the port of Seattle and headed north through the Puget Sound and up along Vancouver Island and the Inside Passage. We had a few sprinkles on the windows as we left port; but that was it for the rain! Knock on wood! Though it remained cloudy Friday evening, we could see for miles and miles and it was beautiful.

Our cabin is a “standard” verandah cabin. There is a full couch along with our bed and plenty of closet and storage space. We enjoy our balcony with the chase lounge, chair and small table – but most of the time we are standing up to see what there is to see. Our dinner companions are a mother and daughter (Mamie and Stephanie from Texas and another couple, the Andersons – also from Texas). Our table is right next to the aft windows and we have a glorious view of the wake of the ship and where we have been during the day.

Our first day was spent at sea, getting to know where things are on the ship and meeting our dinner companions and other people along the way. The skies above were solid clouds but no rain. We passed several white lighthouses with red, tile roofs at Scarlett Point and Pine Island before leaving the Queen Charlotte Strait and heading out into the open ocean of the Queen Charlotte Sound. And yes, we did see some of those magnificent black and whites gliding smoothly through the waters along Vancouver Island! It was a small pod. Not everyone on the ship saw them; so we felt lucky to have been looking out off our balcony when they passed quickly by heading south.

We joined “Darren” the fitness guy on the ship at 7:30 in the morning to walk a mile in our quest to Trek the Deck for our precious Landon’s Rockin’ Walkers for Walk for the Cure for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. We wear our denim JDRF shirts every morning and walk 3 ½ times around the deck for a mile. It is enjoyable. I walk at my own pace (slow walker here!) and the others walk more briskly than I – but we are all out there! There are several dozen walkers on the ship every morning. There’s still time to sign up to sponsor us if you go to the JDRF website!

Unfortunately, towards the end of the day as we headed out into Queen Charlotte South, the seas became quite rough and it was uncomfortable – so for a good number of passengers on the Amsterdam (me included) we suffered a bit with seasickness. Jim went to dinner without me. We ordered some room service for me; and he also was very kind to make sure I had an ample supply of ginger ale and saltine crackers. Though I have still not tried it yet; on the menu for room service for “rough sea days” you can order green apples and saltine crackers. I’ve heard this is helps but haven’t indulged as of yet.

Tomorrow is Ketchikan – I’ll be in touch when we have internet service. I am finding as I did last year, that internet service is not always available. Till next time…

April 2011 Newsletter

April 1, 2011

Hello Everyone ~

This month, I am going to divert a bit from our cruise to Canada/New England. Instead, I would like to share with you an article that I wrote several years ago about cruising with my parents. I’ve been thinking how much this trip meant to us and thought it would be nice to reminisce with you. This newsletter is dedicated to my parents—Harvey and Frances. I love you Mom and Dad.

Three weeks ago our lives changed dramatically. We think my Dad had a stroke. I say “think” because we do not have that definitive diagnosis yet – but all indications are that is what happened. During these past few weeks as I have sat at the hospital and at the convalescent care facility with my Mom, brother and my husband, I have been reminded how precious our time together is. And, it has reminded me that we never know what tomorrow will bring and to take advantage of every moment that we have together. Today is my birthday; and I got the best present of all – my Dad stood up by himself and took a step! It doesn’t get better than that! We take so much for granted and sometimes it is good to step back and remember.

Barb



Harv and Fran – Then and Now



Don’t Let Your Parents Tell You “No”Have you ever said to yourself that you wished you had asked your parents or grandparents more about what it was like for them growing up?

Several years ago, my husband and I asked my parents to go on a cruise with us. We thought that going on a cruise would be a perfect opportunity to get away for a few days and spend some quality time together. But, we had to sell them on the idea.

I’m a Baby Boomer; and if your parents are like mine, you have probably heard that they feel that they cannot travel anymore. My parents told me that it would be too difficult. My Mom has Parkinson’s disease and my Dad has every kind of arthritis known to mankind. Getting around is not easy for either one of them. But, Mom wanted to see Glacier Bay – and so it was, we booked a cruise to Alaska! Once we boarded the ship and unpacked, our wonderful journey began.

This ended up being one of the best cruises we’ve ever been on. Not because of the itinerary, not because of anything other than it was a chance to spend some quality time with my parents.
My Dad had done some genealogy research and so we had some basic information. We knew that there would be time during the cruise to bring this up in the conversation. And, so it was…Once we sat down and asked them the first few questions, we were greeted with smiles and all sorts of stories. One story would trigger another memory and another and another. They enjoyed sitting in their deck chairs; and I couldn’t write or type fast enough. We talked about their childhood, their memories of growing up during the Depression, and memories they had of their parents or grandparents. The stories we heard were fascinating. After the first time when we sat down they started asking us “What time are we going to do this again?

Think about doing something like this with your parents or grandparents before it’s too late. Don’t let your parents tell you “no”. Plan that family reunion or 90th birthday celebration! Dance one more time with your Mom or Dad or Grandma or Grandpa. Take one more picture. Live, laugh and love each other. Take advantage of your time together and find the time to sit down and ask them those questions that you’ve been telling yourself that you have been meaning to ask. Bring a thick pad of paper and plenty of pens and enjoy what is about to unfold before you.

Post note: In 2011 we started having Sunday is for Family Day. We lost Jim’s Dad last summer. Since then, we have tried to spend our Sundays with Jim’s mother, my parents or our children and grandchildren. We have heard fascinating stories of how our parents grew up during the Depression and World War II. We have celebrated the birth of our newest grandchild, Jacob (born on Super Bowl Sunday!), and we have made a point of being with our family on Sundays. Now, more than ever, we can see how precious our Sundays are. Please don’t wait to do this with your family. Get out your picture albums and laugh and reminisce – and enjoy each other. You never know what tomorrow may bring.

Believe me – you’re gonna love it; and so will they. It will be the memory of a lifetime!

Sunday is Family Day - February 6, 2011 - Welcome Jacob Morgan!

SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY, February 6, 2011

Today was a glorious day and especially extraordinary because we welcomed the newest member of our family, Jacob Robert Morgan! Jacob was born while most of us were still asleep – 12:52 a.m. on Sunday, February 6, 2011. He weighed in at seven pounds and was 21 inches long!

It was foggy and a very cool 41 degrees in San Diego when I began my drive up to Monterey to meet our newest grandchild. With my Starbucks in hand, my day began. It was dark and foggy; I could barely see 100 feet in front of the car for quite a ways up the highway. The fog began to lift as I drove further north above Temecula. At about 6:15 a.m. the daylight broke, the sky was a bright baby blue with pink clouds lacing the horizon. It was beautiful. As the sun rose in the east, I couldn’t help but notice the top of Big Bear in the San Gabriel Mountains all covered with snow.

My eight hour drive seemed to pass by quickly. I generally drive north on I-15 then take Interstate 210 west through Pasadena and the San Fernando Valley over to I-5. The portion of my drive north of Los Angeles over the Grapevine was so peaceful. The hills were covered with thick green grass from the winter rains with a yellow glow from the dandelions covering the ground. It almost looked like velvet.

I stopped a few times to get a warm refill on my coffee and continued my drive. I saw some herds of cattle grazing on the hillsides while others lay alongside the road as if they were not quite awake. When I drove by, they lifted their large heads as if to say “Good morning – don’t bother me I haven’t had my coffee yet”. I passed herds of sheep and Billy goats as well as pastures with horses meandering around. The world was waking up. Along Highway 46 from Lost Hills going over to Paso Robles and Highway 101, there were several large flocks of black crows sitting on top of the barren almond trees. Then, several times I saw something larger in the trees right alongside the highway, and there were several owls perched on the bare branches keeping a watchful eye out as the few cars that were on the road at that time of the morning, passed.

My drive up was really enjoyable with all the animals and birds that I passed along the way. I never knew what I was going to see next! During the next few days, little did I know that I would be greeted in the mornings by majestic blue herons and white egrets standing tall at the waters’ edge of the small lake near my daughter’s home.

When I arrived in Monterey, I met my daughter Jackie at her house and unloaded the car and within half an hour, we were off to the hospital to greet the newest member of our family. We walked into the hospital room and there was my daughter Steph, husband Jason and our precious new bundle of joy! I know I was as proud and happy as any other Grandma I know. And, like all of the rest of you, I think my grandson is perfect and beautiful in every way! That is our God given right! Jacob was wrapped all snug in a hospital blanket and had a tiny little cotton knit cap on his head. His tiny little hands were inside of the onesie t-shirt that he wore. His cheeks were rosy and glowing; and he was very content to be held by his Daddy. Steph looked beautiful; and it was hard to imagine that she had just given birth a few hours before I arrived.

Jacob – welcome to our family. You are loved.