Goodbye to Petaluma! And Happy Holidays to All!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We created a light tree on the wall, no space to spare for any other kind! And Santa managed to find us! The kids were a little concerned!

this was the site in the morn!

We took another ride yesterday, Cliff and the kids had done a little research and we enjoyed cupcakes at Sift in Santa Rosa, they competed on Cupcake Wars. We are big Food Network fans! We also enjoyed dinner at a Triple D joint, as Guy would say! Citti Cafe in Sonoma. Both were delicious! The cupcakes had awesome names (and the tastes, oh my!) like Stud Muffin ~ a beer cake topped with salted caramel frosting and a piece of candied bacon, and Muffin Man, gingerbread cake with cinnamon frosting and a miniature gingerbread cookie, then the Cookie~ chocolate cake with cookies & cream cream cheese frosting and crumpled oreo on top, then the Coconut, a coconut cake with coconut cream cheese frosting and coconut sprinkled on top! No pictures available as they were inhaled in less than 5 minutes!

We have enjoyed our 14 weeks here in Petaluma, it was beautiful and sunny for weeks at a time, and more recently unbelievably rainy for weeks at a time, but now we are ready to start a new adventure! A Cruise, to Mexico! Both firsts for all of us! So, we will be out of touch for a bit! A week long cruise that starts on Sunday and time on the road to get to the next stop, wherever that may be!

Have a blessed New Year! See you then!

Pretty Petaluma, between rain storms!

Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA

Well, we finally spent a little time in Santa Rosa, where Cliff has been working for 13 weeks! 

We wanted to explore the Charles Schulz Museum, because, well who wouldn't? So we did!

I took lots of pictures to share with you! 

Alexa was more interested in seeing the movies/shows, there was a little cinema type room where you can see different shows they have made over the years. We saw Rerun wants a Dog. Never seen it before. Gavin wanted to read every comic strip that was displayed! He told me that he did not laugh out loud, but he did giggle in his head a few times. Ha, ha!

this is a little courtyard, with "the kite eating tree"

this is a wall of comic strips that creates this image, very cool!

San Francisco! Our last visit ...

Last trip into the city! 

We finally saw the Golden Gate Park!

We parked at the bison paddock, then walked to the pond where some folks were using radio transmitted boats, continued on to the polo field and fly casting pools! 

this fella put on a good show, practicing his casting! Dad would have loved to have been here!

then ... we met up with my cousin Courtney and her hubby Ted! We ate lunch at the Cliff House, with an amazing view at a great table!

I am so very grateful that we have had time in the SF area and have seen my awesome cousin several times!

We walked around the area, Lands End after lunch ....

then we stopped in at the Ferry Building downtown before leaving town!  Cliff was able to find great parking in both areas!

We had a great day in San Francisco!

together again!

Wow! Has it really been a month since I posted? Clearly it has, the computer tells me so!

Well, there has been working (for Cliff), and traveling for the kids and I (to Connecticut, with a moment in Maine!).

But, we are together again! Finally! The kids and I threaded a needle with this week's traveling! Leaving in a wind and rain storm for coastal Rhode Island and Connecticut, snow up state for both! And then here, well, here a year's worth of rain fell in less than 48 hours, 8.86 inches in Petaluma to be exact! Yes, there was flooding and roads closed, but this is thirsty soil and much has been absorbed, thankfully! There is talk of a much better ski season nearby as well, apparently last winter was too dry for much snow.

Of course I have pictures to share over the next few days, perhaps!!

the Farm! Pop's house & the barn

Thanksgiving!

the Mystic Aquarium!  playing with Juno

Coco, a naughty 28 year old sealion.

a history lesson with Gramma & Grampa at Stonington Borough

the Indian rock in Pop's yard

the smokehouse in Pop's attic

old tools

one of many fireplaces

more soon!