The TanFastic Tarvin-Fery Clan Climbs (ta ta) EL TORO MOUNTAIN

Yes, we made it to the top of El Toro on Saturday, March 28th. And, thank goodness, it is a whole year until we can (legally) do it again! There were 8 in our group, as it turned out. Isaac (21 months old and 28 lbs, toted up and down by his dad), Rufus (Isaac's cuddly bear, toted by Isaac), Jennifer and Tony (Isaac's rents), Jay (Isaac's uncle) Linda (Isaac's nana) AND the twins (Isaac's siblings - minus @3 months to D-Day, carried up and back by their mom). Afterwards we all enjoyed brunch at Betsy's Restaurant and Isaac got to meet and be admired by Betsy herself. All in all, Just Another Beautiful Day in Paradise!
Big thanks are due to The Morgan Hill Historical Society who has been putting on this hike for many years now.
Kudos and thanks too to Boy Scout Troup 799 who provided anchored ropes to hang onto and had dug out lots of steps on the steepest parts of the ascent.

OK, it's not a very high mountain but it is our mountain and it's the tallest mountain in Morgan Hill.

A Once-a-Year Climb

This is the goal: to climb El Toro Mountain on Saturday for the once-a-year trek sponsored by the Morgan Hill Historical Society. Joining me are favorite son Jay, favorite daughter Jennifer, favorite son-in-law Tony and favorite grandson Isaac. The weather forecast is sunny and 72 degrees - just another day in paradise. Let's hope we all make it to the top!

Honk if you think I'm Jesus

Jesus.bmp (image)
Greetings Earthlings, I found this image when I was surfing today. Here's the deal: Click onto Jesus.bmp right above the words Greetings Earthlings. Then stare at the image for a while. Next, it is time to look at a light colored wall and you just might see Jesus. Hey, it might even work on toast, as long as you use Wonder Bread! Have fun! And while you are at it, ask Jesus to take away this lousy sinus infection I have been "blessed" with and give it to Bernie Madoff or Rush Limbaugh so I can get back on my Purple Bicycle.

Signs of Spring

Happy Spring Everyone!

A Tasty Daffodil

Welcome to my garden! This perky puppy always makes me smile when I glance his way. I didn't realize until later that, in this photo, it looks like he is getting ready to munch down on one of the first daffodils of the season.

Tick Tock

I took Maggie Mae for a walk down by the creek in Silvera Park Thursday evening and returned (unknowingly) with a sign of Spring. By 9:30 pm the tick I had picked up made him or herself known by a definite pain in my side. With John's help I was able to get all but the tick's head out of my body but a circular rash was getting bigger and bigger. Of course, all we were both thinking was Lyme Disease. I went to Kaiser Friday morning where a very nice doctor from Iran used sharp tweezers to get the head out. She talked to disease control and assured me that Lyme disease is rare in California and that the rash from it does not show up for a week or 2 and is not in the immediate area of the bite. Whew! My worst moments were in the treatment room after she got the tick out, told me that it looked like a Lyme rash and left me there for 30 minutes while she went to wash her hands. When she finally came back she was able to assure me that Lyme Disease is not common in California and that the localized immediate rash, though painful, was a good sign. Again. Whew! It's been almost 44 years since I have had a tick. That was on our honeymoon (camping in Oklahoma). We were poor college students. So romantic, picking ticks off each other by the light of a Coleman lantern. We quickly discovered that holding a match up to your skin did NOT make the tick back out.

Purple Bicycling for Donuts

There was a window on Saturday with no rain for the whole day so John and I went on a bike ride and tried out the new bike path just off Watsonville near the bridge close to Monterey Road. It's really nice and took us close to our day's destination - O'Henry's Donuts. I have been craving a donut for months now so that seemed like a nice reward for a little physical activity. I asked for a plain donut with no glaze and they had a donut with no glaze and no hole. It was good and by the time I had eaten half of it my craving was satisfied. Lots of rain today but there was a small window this afternoon when I took Maggie Mae for a walk. We did part of the walk on an elevation. I need to get ready for the El Toro hike in April. I always plan to do more prep so I won't get so winded. Maybe this year I really will be more prepared.