Did you know they won’t be making yardsticks any longer?
Well, there I was, minding my own business, planning to work in the garden, and maybe even finding a barber to lower my ears when the iPhone buzzes, and a magic message appears! The news was, “I have a play day, no appointments”. Who could this be?
Perhaps a little hint?
I instantly replanned my day and headed east toward Miss Mary’s home.
On a sad note, on the way, I talked to Greg, who lost his step-dad, David, on Friday. Greg was like me in February, entirely at a loss about what do with the emptiness. That feeling of loss is horrible. Both Greg and I were caregivers these past several years and for the activity to just stop is hard to explain. We talked quite a while as the Grey Ghost went on automatic. Greg is a great friend, and I feel for him and his loss.
After arriving at Miss Mary’s, I saw she had her cooking costume on, so I sneaked a peek! Instantly I knew it was the famous blackberry pie (pronounced pi by us southerners). It needed about 50 minutes in the oven before we could depart for today’s adventures. What to do? The day was beautiful, so she had an idea!
Cutting the pie and lining up the initials.
She made chicken stir-fry and we dined on the patio while the pie bubbled in the oven. Our timing was perfect. I went into her garden and found kale for the stir fry. The meal was excellent. It was filling but not so much we could not walk afterward.
We brought Jan some of the stir-fry on our way to Newport. Jan remarked the stuffed peppers from the previous night were good and a little spicy!
An amazing brunch.
We decided the Balboa Pier needed our attention, so off we went. We parked at the American Legion and had a glass of wine and pretzel sticks. You must have food with your drink, its a rule.
After the wine, we headed down the boardwalk on the south-west side of the peninsula. The trusty map said it would be a mile and a half in thirty minutes. Fat chance of us walking three miles an hour.
We can do this!
It was a good walk and we averaged 1.8 miles an hour because we paused and gazed at the ocean, attempting to find Catalina out in the mist. Finally, we spotted Ruby’s at the end of the pier. A little further down we turned our attention to the sea and there it was, Catalina! We could see the outline of the isthmus.
We arrived at the pier, and Vanna White’s replacement pointed out the sign.
We are at the pier.
Thank goodness it was Monday because Sunday it would have been a Zoo. Another reason why I like retirement. I was happy Mary had a “play day” today!
A forest of palm trees suddenly appeared.
The wildlife was out and about with birds sailing everywhere around us. Mr. Egrett, a boney little bird, kept looking at us, and we could not figure out why. Did we look suspicious? We certainly did not look like anything he would want to swoop down on and bite.
I am watching you!
The pier was empty, with only a few fishermen doing their thing. We stopped an asked what they were catching, and the response was generally, “Bait”. They fish to fish, catching ever-larger fish as the day goes on. It seems a little boring for us; we had rather dance! Note to self: Bring a boom-box loaded with waltzes and cha-chas next time plus a small tin-cup for potential donations!
It was a beautiful day.
The pier is adjacent to the Balboa Fun Zone. The Fun Zone was built in 1936 by Al Anderson featuring a small beach and a 45′ Ferris Wheel as the main attractions. We wanted to visit the Pavillion because of us having danced there over the years with different people. It is a magical place. It was built the year my father was born.
It was built in 1906, it’s almost older than me!
Because of the pandemic, we could not go inside, but we did stop and have a glass of wine in their tent adjacent to the entrance. Mary faced the water, thinking she had the best seat. Ha! I had the best seat, for obvious reasons!
We tried their Crispy Artichoke Wontons to go along with the wine, and they were perfect. How they put the cream cheese inside the wonton, and they fry it without melting the cream cheese, is genuinely one of the great mysteries of life.
No doubt here!
We both hummed “Back On The Road Again” as we have a mile and a half to walk back to the American Legion. We did the north-east side going back, and it was quite different than the beachside. The weather stayed perfect, and we recanted memories of our kids growing up and visiting this area through the years.
You can walk from the Legion to the pier on either side of the peninsula.
We arrived at the American Legion just before closing, so we bought some food along with a glass of wine and watched the sun get lower in the sky. There was a fellow at our table, and he started to leave, but we invited him to stay. He was there waiting for his boat’s battery to get charged up.
We both like meeting new people. As the sun dropped into the ocean, the temperature was falling, so we “guzzled” our drink and headed home. The car had been in the sun for hours so it was toasty inside.
I was anxious to get home as I knew there was a “pi” awaiting, my favorite. If you notice carefully, you will see initials carved in the crust. We have David, Diane, Mary, and a couple of others. Mary had the right name tonight. Carving an “M” takes a lot more space than a simple “P”. If your name were Ida, you would lose out for sure.
We plan to rename Jan to Peter so we can be Peter, Paul, and Mary!
Jan’s “pi” got carved out, and I am on my way to Jan’s doing my “Meals On Wheels” thing. Since it was a workday tomorrow, I left before 8:00 PM and headed to make my delivery. Tonight Jan got “pi” and she was very happy.
Such a cut up!
It was a great day; we walked 4.7 miles taking 12,309 steps and losing 414 calories (all of which we added right back after the “pi” was consumed.
It’s hard to believe summer is coming to an end, as Labor Day is this coming weekend. This year has been horrendous to date. Losing Kathy, then Sue and then the Covid-19 mess, not seeing friends, not dancing, it has been like a calendar-tsunami! Things are, however, brightening up; I see the light at the end of the tunnel – I hope it is not an oncoming train!
Time marches on!
I decided not to stop by the Himilayan Grill and visit the band, so I was home at 9:00 PM and poured a big cup of coffee before going through the mail. Tonight was a reading night, so Clive Cussler and I sat up and told tales of great adventurers doing amazing things to save the world.
Before lights-out, I visited with Sue thinking of her and the beautiful times we had together. She will always be in my heart.
