SUPERBOWL GATHERING~Laton-CA

February 11th: Neither Holland, nor I, are football fans … but most people are; so, the gathering at Kelly's house today was focused on (and centered around) Superbowl Sunday.

The whole family would be gathered, so I dolled up a bit: not too much, but some.

(Left) Sparkly Maybelline Designer Chocolates; (Right) Sparkly Cover Girl Fard Accents.

Glittery Profusion Chocolates - 'Lionheart'; Brow Gel; Mascara; Lipstick for blush & tinted Burt's Bees Lipgloss.

MDChocolates sparkly 'Cream' for browline; CGFAccents sparkly 'Pale Pink for entire eye shadow; 'Rose' for  eyelid color; 'Brown' for both eye liners; PChocolates glittery 'Lionheart' for inner eyelid accent; 'Auburn' Brow Gel; 'Deep Violet' Mascara.

Revlon Lipstick 'Primrose' for Blush, & 'Rose' tinted Burt's Bees Lipgloss; dressed for outdoor face-to-face; Guess - Seductive Red Perfume.

A quick twirl of the hot curling iron and I'm walking out the door …

We drove to Wal*Mart to pick up a sheet cake to take with us: we also grabbed a quick hotdog on Lover's Lane :-)

Leaving the street we currently have Independence parked at, we noticed horse trailers and cowboys on horses in the parking lot of a feed barn … but we were surprised to see people riding their horses down main highways. In California (!) of all places. Bleu started barking his head off, but the horses were very well behaved and didn't startle. What did startle me though, was seeing a toddler seated behind the saddle horn of his mother's horse - I don't think that was very wise given they were riding their horses down the highway where anything could happen: they had control of their mounts, but I have ridden a horse on a main roadway and know horses (no matter how well trained) can get antsy & skittish on a highway.

The family gathering at Kelly's was fun: and Brenda is planning a Family Reunion in March, following Holland's Dr. appointment, and my eyes exam, so we'll be coming back this way again real soon. We are looking forward to seeing Holland's beekeeper cousin from Colorado - he'll be coming to California to collect his bee hives that are pollinating the orchards here, now … we left around 4:30 PM, and then Holland took me to see the main Meyer Ranch he spent time at, when he was a kid (his mother's sister Immajean - Brenda's mother, was married to George - the Uncle we visited with yesterday); this particular visit had been planned before we even started being Road Gypsies, so I'm glad this Bucket List Wish was a "touch down" :-)

Horses! There were people riding horses all over the place, this morning.

Venice Hills and the entire Sierra Nevada foothills, east of Vasilia-CA

Venice Hills; Visalia-CA:

 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_Hills#:~:text=The%20Venice%20Hills%20are%20a,streams%20running%20through%20the%20area.)

Freaking out flip-flop …

Wienerschnitzel Breakfast: #1400 E Noble Ave, Visalia, CA

Holland got 2 Corn Dogs & I got the Kraut Dog; Chili-cheese Fries - not what I expected, but they were tasty ;-)

A golden leafed tree; the leaves look like pressed gold coins.

Heart-shaped rock in the Wal*Mart parking lot; Visalia-CA

Holland stopped at a small store at a junction leading to Laton, and came out to the truck with a treat for me; he always lets me know he's always thinking of me ;-)

In Layton-CA, we met Brenda & Jeff at the corner junction and followed them to Kelly's house …

The Deck where everyone was congregated - it was an impressive thing.

The backyard layout is beautifully set up, and the deck overlooks the canal.

This is a place Holland knows; this was Benda's Bridal home - now passed to her daughter Kelly & husband Eric.

I think I'll skip the sauce; LOL

Portuguese Donuts are akin to Czechoslovakian Crullers.

Filozes Portuguese Donuts Recipe:

 (https://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/2012/03/filozes-portuguese-donuts.html) & Old-Fashioned Cruller Recipes: (https://www.homemade-dessert-recipes.com/old-fashioned-cruller-recipe.html)

Fried in hot cooking oil …

And rolled in granulated sugar. YUM!

Brenda's first husband Tommy, was Portuguese; Holland went to school with the older adults here - he knows everyone.

Brenda's husband, Jeff.

I love this man - he's so good for me in so many ways.

The Meyer Laton Ranch; Holland spent a lot of time here, growing up. The little cabin is where all the boys slept - and all the boys have funtime memories of their time spent together there. I love listening to their phone convo's :-)

This was Brenda's childhood home.

Texas Longhorn cattle …

The Meyer Layton Ranch was pretty expansive & Holland loved his time spent here; he talks of this place and his Uncle and cousins with great love.

Sunset tonight; Visalia-CA

*TIES THAT BIND~Hanford-CA & Laton-CA Post: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/02/ties-that-bindhanford-ca-laton-ca.html