Beaches and Gardens

Happy Friday!  I've had a most energetic week filled with all kinds of activities.  It's good to arrive at Friday, take a breath and look back on the best things that filled the week.  As always, I link my Willow's Week report to Susanne's Friday Fave Fives post. 

1.  Saturday was a fun day.  We drove to Pasadena (well, San Marino, really, but no one knows that San Marino is next to Pasadena) to the Huntington Library and Gardens.  I spent the day in the Huntington Rose Garden with my weaving and spinning guild friends talking with people and demonstrating how a simple loom works.  The bonus was that I got a lot done on Son #2's scarf.

Lunch spot overlooking the Japanese Garden

2.  Our local hospice hosts a yearly spring garden tour to raise money.  I really enjoy going with friends to wander around people's gardens and noticing what is being grown and how they are landscaped.  On Sunday, a friend and I took our pastor's wife for her first tour.  We all agreed that while we like seeing the large expansive and expensive gardens, our favorites were the small ones which are more our style.  And it was fun to hang out with someone who is just learning about gardening and finding a few ideas that might work in my garden.

I like the border of this herb garden--pots to plant MORE herbs.

We all agreed that this terraced hillside area was perfect--flowers and veggies together.

3.  World's Best Neighbor went to visit her son for Mother's Day.  I took her to the Santa Barbara airport.  That is SO MUCH easier than LAX!  On the way home, google maps routed me off Highway 1 onto Santa Barbara streets because of two accidents.  It was faster and I got to drive right along the beach!  Obviously, I didn't take any photos.

4.  The route from our place to Santa Barbara has some of the most beautiful beach scenery! I love just glancing over and seeing the pods of surfers and the sand and the waves.  The tide was all the way in.  I don't think I've ever seen the water so high and near the road.  It was beautiful!

5.  Most people, when they think of Southern California, imagine that we have 365 days of sunshine.  What they don't realize is that we have what is termed May Gray and June Gloom--days and days of "early morning coastal fog and low cloudiness".  Hence May Gray.  That's what we have had most days this week.  I really don't mind.  The soft clouds and cool temperatures are a pleasant contrast to those blistering hot days of July (July Fry), August and September.  I love soaking up the cool days.