TULARE LAKE~CA

Friday: We spent the afternoon with Brenda, Jeff, and their best friend/neighbor Mike; we will miss them when we leave here :-(

When we got back home, I began my Shabbat relaxation time - and started untangling skeins of yarn for my newest project (no, I will not tell you what it is: you will have to keep checking back to find out ;-))

Friday I started unwinding Supersize skeins & rewinding them into huge balls; I rolled 8 ct. of these big boys ;-)

Tulare Lake, as well as Santa Cruz-CA, was discussed again: Tulare Lake was on Holland's 'Bucket List' … Santa Cruz, on my 'Bucket List': Holland had mentioned he would like to see Tulare Lake, several times while we were in Yuma-AZ, so while we are in the general area it seemed prudent to me to check it out.

Holland had spent several years in Santa Cruz in the 1980's - working and surfing with his uncle Jim, who surfed professionally in the 1970's (who was featured on a Surfing Magazine Cover as a professional surfer, featuring his custom surfing Van), his cousin James (who surfed professionally for Freeline & O'Neill wetsuit companies = his sponsors), and his brother Tito, every day around 5 AM, before work.

I would like to see this place that helped form Holland's character ;-)

Saturday: The Day wound down slowly and quietly as I relaxed by crafting out a new design.

I, as a Messianic Jew, do not have a problem with traveling, visiting family/friends … or with crafting relaxation - which is for personal usage, and not monetary gain. In either instance my thoughts are always on Elohei, anyway; as He is always foremost in my everyday thoughts.

And that is really what Shabbat is all about: I do not believe Elohim wants us to sit on our hands the entire 24-hour Shabbat Rest ;-)

I am not an orthodox Jew (I am a Christian Jew, who believes Yeshua is Messiah = Lord of the Sabbath; I follow His example concerning Shabbat), so rabbinic nonsense does not fit my walk with Elohim.

Saturday, I started designing … and crafting my newest project.

We made plans to go find Tulare Lake in the morning; then visit Uncle George, before spending the rest of the afternoon with Brenda and Jeff.

Sunday, March 24th: I woke up around 6 Am, to the sound of raindrops tap dancing across the roof :-(

Sunday morning I woke up to the sound of raindrops; 'oh no' …

And my husband softly snoring beside me :-)

Holland softly snoring beside me; sleeping men always look so carefree/relaxed - and those bed-head-curls are adorable ;-)

Holland basically cat-naps, so when he does actually fall into bed … and stay in bed long enough to rhythmically snore softly, I know he is sleeping deeply - and I do not want to disturb him.

I don't mind the snoring: I actually find it comforting after 5 years of laying down - and waking up to, any empty pillow in a roomy bed in a very quiet widow's bedroom … the soft manly sounds while my new husband sleeps, makes me smile and thank Elohim for His generous gifting to me of this tall bear of a man sleeping deep right beside me. Holland's quiet snores are not annoyances: they are blessings in my silver-hair days I thought I'd live out alone.

Blood, Sweat & Tears - 'You Made Me So Very Happy' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7UHO0meiA)

I quietly fooled around on my Tablet until he woke up. When he fully woke up, I said, "It's raining, I thinking the Lake trip is not going to be happening today." He said, "It' still on."

So, we got dressed and hit the road :-)

The road was closed at Stratford's Chevron Station, so before GPS cut out, it routed us through Stratford, and a long loop around Laurel Ave., S. 19th Ave., Lincoln Ave., and finally down Hwy. #41 to the Lake … which we never got to view because the dike road fronting the cannel was muddy and torn up from vehicles that had tried the road and gotten stuck.

Looking at internet pic's later on, I'm glad we didn't try the muddy road: Elohim was watching out for us :-)

Today's humidity mimic's WA State humidity.

Goal: Tulare Lake-CA

Chirring squirrels, whistling geese, squawking ducks, and chirping frogs greet us every morning, here.

I love seeing these heart clouds as we travel along; a reminder that Elohim's love is always with us ;-); Golden State Hwy. #99-CA

Tulare Lake-CA from Riverland RV Resort-CA; 41 min (36.2 mi) via CA-198 W

Stratford is pretty much a living Ghost Town; scant GPS signal.

We did not see the phantom lake; a muddy dike road squelched that idea.

I'm glad we weren't Dare Devils - nowhere to turn around; all roads end in the water.
Tulare Lake:
(https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/24/california-tulare-lake-shrinking & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulare_Lake)

Leaving Stratford, we drove to Hanford to visit Holland's Uncle George for a bit.

The closeness of these 2 … and the love flowing between them; Hanford-CA

Hanford-CA from Tulare Lake-CA; 22 min (17.8 mi) via CA-41 N and CA-198 E

From there, we drove to Laton to visit Brenda and her family … and stopped by the "little church" Holland remembers from his childhood days there, where he went to fellowship with his mother when she and his siblings lived there: Holland lived in Laton; and went to school there.

Laton-CA from Hanford-CA; 16 min (9.6 mi) via 12th Ave

Visiting the 'church across the tracks' that Holland's mother took them to while visiting his Laton grandparents.

Holland has good memories of Laton-CA. Love lived here, & Harris hearts embraced him.