Of feeling sleepy and a vacation idea~~~~~

Hello Darklings,

I feel so sleepy, the weather seems to have "sucked me dry" although it's cooler outside than inside the house, but I just feel and if I want to hibernate for years.

It has to be the weather or maybe the stresses I've been having.

I did get some good news, Mrs. plumber, my plumber's wife called and had two good pieces of information.

1. Her husband is doing fine, no infection, but they are going to keep him in the hospital for another day or two, but because of his type of work they are insisting he rest for 6 weeks.   Well I'm glad he's going to be well.

2. My plumber has a brother who is also a licensed plumber and said he could finish the job for him, he and I talked and he was apologetic, he's tied up finishing another job but will be able to take on mine next Monday. For some reason I heard a very faint rendition of the Lone Ranger theme, a plumbing hero is coming to the rescue. 


 Doyle recommended we use plastic forks and paper plates and cups, until the sink is fixed.

Well I told him not for the coffee and tea cups, I'm willing to drink wine out of a paper cup but not my coffee,  but Doyle has also suggested we get take out, and I agree, at least I won't have to tackle the pots and pans and then bail out the sink.

We can do it.   And we can deal with it.   But I cannot use the dish washer or washing machine until that connection is replaced.  Oh well.  Tomorrow---The Laundromat!!!

At least we can take baths and showers so all is not lost.

Doyle suggested that we eat outside in the back garden and take advantage of the breeze, for dinner, I certainly am all for that.

And he made a suggestion to me after he gets well----He said "How would you like to take a couple of days and stay in Bodega Bay where Hitchcock filmed "The Birds",  he showed me this web site for Bodega Bay Lodge.  Oh Darklings it looks so wonderful and romantic, dining, a spa, ocean views, nearby historic locations, a few wineries.

I was all for it, so now depending upon how well he'll be we'll go either end of September or Mid-October, for several days, take advantage of the spa, the wineries, seeing the historic sights and just relaxing as well.

My man with the beat up almost Bogart face, being romantic even with his medical problem.  What more could an elder Goth Female ask for.

Later Darklings

Of Back to chilly weather and other things~~~~

Hello Darklings,

Well once again our natural air conditioning kicked in and we are experiencing chilly weather again, it's a good thing I have an all purpose sweater that I leave at the office to keep the chill off.  I simply wore my long black light weight wool trench coat for the commute.

And it looks like the temporary sick out on Muni has passed, if they tried to make a point it backfired on them from the public's reaction---mostly it was "Fire the S.O.B's!!!  There are people who need jobs hire new people who will appreciate what they've got!!!"

Well I don't mind fighting for what is right, but within reason, because it does cause costs to go up and then other people will start demanding increases it just dominos.  But I am all for better health and dental care benefits and retirement packages.

Right now I'm on a coffee break and my co-worker has brought me my 3rd Hazelnut coffee, I'm sorry Darklings but I do have a weakness for having Hazelnut creamer in my coffee. 

As I was taking the Ferry in to work, I could hear people complaining about the fluations in the weather---don't know what to wear??  Well for me it's a long sleeve lightweight blouse, a below the knee skirt, a wide brim hat, vintage cloth gloves (in black) good walking shoes, nylons, and my light weight wool Trench coat (also in black), now that does seem warm but since I travel early in the morning and frequently come back late in the evening, its always chilly at those times, but with the extreme hot weather, I leave the coat at home and wear a light weight sweater that works like a jacket.

If I leave the office at lunch time and it's hot I leave the sweater at the office.

But because I don't like to tan everything is always long sleeved, and cotton gloves and the hat, either in a good expensive straw or felt or wool---if it's raining then a scarf and rain hat.

It is always best to layer on because you can remove it as it gets warmer.  It's also how I pack as well.

Last night I had a lovely phone call from Coralline.  She and her family are leaving today in their R.V to travel for the next few weeks, going North then South, then to Tahoe and Nevada, camping in their RV.

She told me that her parents said no video games, no TV. no cell phones except for the parents for emergencies, the children are to read, play card or board games where the whole family is involved.

Coralline said that her English teacher wants her to keep a journal of her summer experiences, so I said that her folks better include a dictionary and a thesaurus as well, to help with spelling and expanding word usage.  Her Mom has done that.

Coralline is excited about the trip but her brother's wanted to go to Disneyland---I know what my brother said "I'd have to take a loan to go to Disneyland for 6 people!!!"   But I know they are saving up for it for next year---just don't tell the boys.

Well my time is up and I have to go back to work.

Later Darklings

Of a "Ghostly, Mystery" Vacation~~~~

Hello My Darklings,

I'm at a free wi-fi service here in Sacramento but Doyle and I will be leaving later today, and all I can say is that our vacaton was wonderful.

We stayed aboard the Delta King, a floating Riverboat hotel, and yes the nights did get chilly so warm sweaters are a must, and one night the fog rose up from the river, our room was very nice with a lovely river view, and I do have to admit depending on your pricing the rooms can be a bit on the small side but you ARE on a Riverboat and space is limited.

We enjoyed dining on the boat and had a special dining package with the mystery suspense theatre, I think it's called Suspects theater, and you don't know if you are dining with a victim, a suspect, or a detective.  And you have to help figure out the mystery, such Fun!

But that wasn't all, Doyle had made reservations for a tour on one of Sacramento's Ghost Walk Tours, and Underground Old Sacramento,  there was something about being able to walk on the old Riverboat, watch the river flow by at night, we had a full moon as well, it added to the ghostly atmosphere, add the river fog and all at once you are not in the 21st century but back in the 19th. 

The ghosts of those merchants, gamblers, bankers, miners, farmers, villians, women of means and women of the streets all floated along, calling to you to forget the present, go to the past where you could disappear, no one would know you, you could take on a different persona, make your own way or die trying.  Some people think it was romantic, but there was disease and pestilience, and for some people bathing was not very often, and a wrong word was reason for a shoot out.  And they floated out there, calling to one, some people say that they can hear the screams of people who died when two riverboats that were racing blew up, being burned to death by the hot steam or the fire or drowing.   Even the River is haunted and demands its sacrifice if you dig for its gold.

At one time in the 1860's Sacramento and much of the Central Valley was flooded like Noah's flood, the new govenor instead of taking a carriage to the capitol had to take a boat, the river had no channel and the riverboats could go everywhere,  now a days they call that type of flooding a Noahchian flood, rare but it does happen, now dams prevent that.

And late at night, when most of old Sacramento is in bed, if one stands on the deck of the Delta King and looks at the town, it seems like time has stood still, only the faint honking of a car horn breaks that spell, few places are like that, New Orleans, Old Town Sacramento, even historic gold rush town of Columbia give that feeling of time freezing for just a moment, San Francisco lost that ages ago with its high rises, but now and then peeping through the fog the city becomes like it was in the 1940's and 50's black and white, film noir.  Parts of London can still give that feeling, but its rare.

Now Doyle brings me my 2nd cup of coffee and we'll have to be going,  he needs to see someone at one of the Capitol offices, then back to the real world.

I've been in touch with my niece "Coralline" and 'Trisha she says she recieved your card and just loves it.  My sister says we need to go to the new Target store and buy candy and Belladonna misses me;  so more Halloween preperation to do.

Later Darklings

Of a Short Vacation and a "new" stove~~~~

Hello my Darklings,

Yes I am up early, but a lot to do and little time to do it in.

Dear Rebecca I do hope you enjoy the pumpkin crunch receipe, I was surprised how easy it was to make, and it seems like just the perfect thing for the fall.   I hope to be able to on occasion post other receipes that I find tasty and enjoyable.
It seems for now BART cannot make up it's mind to strike or not to strike (that is the question), but it seems that the talks are moving forward although slowly.  I find it interesting that when the original mediator went on vacation and a Federal Mediator came in that suddenly there was progress.   They should keep this man in and booth the first one out. 

So the BART trains are running but people have to find out from the 11 p.m. news every night to see if it is so, very inconvient.  AC Transit (buses) were also threatening to strike but the Govenor stepped in and ordered a 7 day cooling down, and if they still can't get it together then he'll order a 60 day cooling down.

And the Federal Government has opened up for business at least for the next 3 or 4 months, frankly raising the debt ceiling is not really good.  The government needs to look at its spending practices and stop borrowing, even Benjamin Franklin once said "man has an income of $20 and spends only $19.90 that equals happiness, but if his earns $20 and spends $20.10 that equals misery" (o.k. I paraphrased it) but that is what our Government Federal, State, County and City is doing and you cannot tax the life out of the people.  Something has to give.

But for now I'm not going to worry,  even my cousin Louise said that the moon and the planets (she's into Astrology) showed that the bottle necks will suddenly clear up temporarily, and she said that on Monday.

Yes my Cousin Louise is staying with me and Sis and Doyle, which is a good thing in a way.  Depending upon how one looks at it, well Doyle is taking me to Old Sacramento and we are going to stay on the Delta King, Sis will be in and out of the house dealing with her clientel, and the workmen on her house,  Belladonna will be staying with our elderly neighbor, and Brian can keep an eye on the houses since he'll be working from home but with Louise here that will help.

Louise is my younger cousin and has moved out of her apartment because she is getting a divorce, after 25 years of marriage, no children and a finladering husband she has had enough.  She wanted a house he didn't, she wanted certain pieces of furniture,he didn't, she liked certain music, places to see, movies to go to and she wanted children---he didn't.  But when she found out that he fathered and was taking care of a child by another woman, that was the end.  And so she is now with me and Sis, I had her talk to my lawyer who recommended a very good lawyer to help her.  Money is not a worry for her, but she is going to get what is rightfully hers by our state laws.

And she'll house sit for me,  I am so looking forward to this vacation, to see somethings different, I understand that there maybe Ghost Walks in Old Sacramento but we'll know better once we get there.

And the 'new' stove,  well Darklings I've been looking and looking, new, old, vintage etc. and nothing seemed right,  I had first thought of getting a new stove from the Elmira works (it would have to be ordered) but what was off putting for me was how high the grates were on the stove, I thought it would be too easy to knock a pot off the stove.   And much of the old stoves still needed work,  I had found photos of the kitchen going back to when the house was built but the stove at that time was very small,  then one from the 1920's but again that seemed too small, I knew I wanted something like my O'keefe and Merritt but since from time to time I give parties I wanted something that would handle a lot.

Then my contractor called me last weekend and said he thinks he found the stove I want,  so yesterday evening Doyle and I went to this place that he was in the process of dismantling, yes Darklings dismantling, he preferes to salvage as much as he can before a place is torn down, this house was in very bad shape but he salvage a lot of wonderful things from it, including mahogany panneling, stain glass windows, etc. but it was the stove, I had the measurements as well as photo's of the spot where it would be put and I could not believe my eyes......There it was.....an O'Keefe and Merritt Town and Country range, 57 inches wide, 6 burners, 2 ovens with windows, 2 broilers, 2 warming compartments and 2 storage areas.

There were tears in my eyes of joy,  I had seen on a web site the same stove but the asking price was $8,000 I could not afford that!!!    But this one could be had for just the cost of moving it out and installing it at my place plus having a good repair man come out and checking it over and calibrating the burners and ovens,  it would need cleaning yes, but Sis, Doyle and I are up to it.  

Talking it over with my contractor he said he could move the tiny aparment stove over install a new flex hose for it and then move the O'Keefe stove into it's place we could clean it and then he'd install a flex hose for it but not turn on the gas to it until I had made an appointment for the repair man to come and check it out and do what needs be done to it. 

My contractor tested it while the gas was still available to see if there was any problems and he did not find any, but the move could jiggle something loose.  Some of the knobs were very stiff, so that needs to be worked on and yes the chrome was a little worn but it's perfect,  Sis will be home when the move is done this weekend, so the kitchen will be a little awkward but that will be only for a short time.

I do not have a picture of the stove in the old house but I've got a picture of the same one from the web site so you'll see what I'll be getting just remember Darklings this picture is of a totally refurbished stove, the one I'm getting will have seen some wars but it is perfectly useable.

But now Louise is here and I hear her puttering in the kitchen,  I think I'll go and have another cup of coffee and discuss with her, her future plans.

Later Darklings

This is the one on the web site, mine is far more used that this but its the exact same model.

Of the Spirit Store is comming!!!

Good Morning My Darklings,

My car pool ride home was relaxing and somewhat uneventful, except we had to take the San Mateo Bridge home instead of the SF East Bay Bridge,  it seems there was a huge truck fire that occurred on that bridge, no one hurt thank goodness, but a lot of sushi went up in flames.  As one of my co-workers remarked "That's a serious fish fry".   A humoriest he is not.

Traffic was backed up for 2 to 3 hours with people running out of gas and people being arrested for fighting.  A sign of things to come I fear.

But San Mateo Bridge traffic was fairly free-flowing so we took the "back way" home and contributed to paying for the extra gas to our driver.

Although I was a bit tired when I got home my sister was waiting very paticently for me and said "we need to get some staples for the pantry", it seems in the fun of shopping for Coralline for me and house re-modeling for my sister and Doyle out of town we forgot to do the basics----grocery shopping.

So with her driving and I going over the grocery list we went into Alameda to the Safeway there, and hoped that Trader Joe's would be open as well...we were lucky we got there in time before Joe's closed and then went to Safeway.   I was amazed at the peace and quiet in the Store and some of the strange "Nighthawks" that shop there after the sun went down.

Ever since many stores stay open either 24 hours or till 10 p.m. or midnight and since the "invention" of on line shopping, those that relish living at Night have many benefits of those shopping hours,  I'm sure during the Christmas shopping hours when many places stay open till 11 p.m. that is also greatly welcomed as well.

I mentioned to my sister about this and she said that in the hot valley areas and desert areas places like Wal-Mart and Target are open 24 hours so that people can shop during the cool of the night avoiding the heat of the day espeically when it gets up into the high 90's or 100's.   When she had to travel as part of her previous job this was something she discovered.    I looked at her and she smiled and said "Maybe we should look at the hours of our local Wal-mart and Target stores, it could prove to be very helpful."

I love the way she thinks.

After we were though loading our groceries in the car, Sis said she had to drop off a number of letters to mail and get stamps, the local post office was nearby and the lobby was open so we drove there and as we were going past what use to be a "Blockbuster" store we saw The Sign.   "Spirit Is Coming!"  

Yeaaaaaa we screamed like teenage girls at a rock concert!

We knew that towards the late middle towards end of September the store would still be stocking but also open to selling with a Grand Opening on Oct 1,   Sis looked at me and said "I guess we'll have to drive by here starting in September aren't we?"   Oh Yes said I.

I hope that they will carry the new Midnight Syndicate album and I do need to add to my Nox Arcana collection as well as any glass and plate wear and things to add to the house.   Sis reminded me to switch to my darker shades of nail polish like "Devil's Lure"  which means that there maybe some new and lovely selections of colors---I hope. 

I know Coralline will be thrilled----And I do hope the larger store south of us will be in its usual place.  Oh I am looking forward to Halloween!  

Sis also reminded me that the Vintage Fashion Fair will also be in October----Oh I thought, maybe I did have to forgo going on a vacation trip this year, but I am all excited in anticipation of the holidays!

And then after we got home and put the groceries away, Brian who was watching Belladonna while we were gone said that Doyle had called and would call back in a short while with some nice news for me.  Hmmmm I thought, I wonder what it could be?

I didn't have long to wait,  Doyle called back and asked me how would I like to spend several nights on the Delta King in Old Sacramento?  Tour the Old Town Sacramento and Sutter's Fort and if we have time maybe an art museum and get there by train?   Yes!!! I screamed.

Doyle had made arrangements for us to go in the early part of October, he said with all the stresses of what was happening I needed a bit of relaxation and fun.   And he made sure his calendar would be clear for those dates, all I had to do was set it up with my Boss, which I knew was not going to be a problem since it was well in advance.

And now with the morning gray and overcast as well as chilly I have my work papers ready and just for today will take the bus and BART and if tomorrow AC Transit strikes or if they don't I will be car pooling.   I just hope that in all this aftermath there will not be any fighting on the on ramps to the SF-Bay Bridge, I have to say on the news broadcast showing the fighting, there was one woman who was so big she could have lifted a bus without much effort.

Later Darklings

Returned from the Ghost Confrence~~~

Oh Darklings,

I and Doyle had so much fun at the Conference at Columbia State Park, the weather was beautiful, the speakers were interesting.  Our stay was very comfortable, food was good.  Christopher Allen Poe the great-great Grand nephew of Edgar Allen Poe is a very interesting person and was the dinner guest speaker.

The investigations very fascinating,  I hope I've captured some EVP.   Doyle and I made new friends there, although I'm not big on UFO's or Bigfoot but as they say there are a lot of strange things out there.

And such a perfect way to extend the Halloween season,  as we understand it they are planning to do it again at the same location next year, so I hope all goes well and we can attend again.

We stayed around until a little after noon grabbing a final bite to eat in Sonora before heading home, in many way's I hated leaving the area, but Doyle said we can always plan on taking trips back there,  especially again next October.

Belladonna was a good little girl in her carry all---but we had to keep her crated in our room while we were on the night investigations.   I did ask the managers the next day if there had been any complaints about any sounds coming from her but there wasn't---she was as good as gold.  But glad to be home in familiar surroundings.

Doyle said for us to not bother to make dinner at home, he's going to order our stand by---take out Chinese. 

I've found that several of you have asked for more in depth questions about "What is Goth?"  although I've done a page on that it seems I may need to write a 'part 2' on this question.   Which is very hard as being Goth is hard to define, a Goth just doesn't want to be dissected and analyzed, a Goth simply is...which makes it harder to define.

Doing a follow up will take some time Darklings but I can tell you this, being Goth is an outlook, a way of looking at the world and it encompasses a huge stratum of people who feel that they are on the outside of ordinary conventionality.   But they can see the beauty in darkness and in the extraordinary---I guess I'll have to go at it from a more historical point of view,  because it really can't be pinned down to one point.

So I guess I'll have to do another page on it----please be on the watch for it.

Now Darklings, I must go and take a nap, after all Ghost Hunting can take it out of a person.

Later Darklings

Do you talk to the Dead?? and Smithsonian Vampires~~~

Hello again Darklings,




I’m finally catching up on things, so much at work to clear away, but finally done.



Doyle and I had so much fun this last weekend, not only were they offering a “Ghost Walk” but there was also a Harvest Fair Festival going on as well, with a unique way of “kicking it off” by dropping pumpkins from the top of the Ghost Towns’ Tallest Building.



The “Ghost Walk” was a perfect precursor to the next event in two weeks, a Paranormal Ghost Hunting convention at Columbia State Park, just perfect timing and Doyle has already made arrangements for us to attend---I am so looking forward to it.



The “Ghost Walk’ was very entertaining, the “actor’s” put a lot of thought into the various stories of the different residents in the Cemetery, but it helps to have good walking shoes and to dress warmly, although the day was mild, the nights do get very coolish.



The Harvest Festival was complete fun, food, and frolic, there were several items I simply could not resist, as well as a painting that I though would be perfect for the entrance Hall in my home. And if you are Elder Goth “lite” it is a perfect event to attend to find all those little things that can “tweak” your little gothic castle.



What I liked is for a period of time you felt that you are taken back in time, I felt that I would have been very comfortable wearing Victorian clothing---although tight corseting would have not been on my list of things to wear, but there was something about the atmosphere of the area that felt so relaxing. I’m going to have to plan to come here from time to time just to get away from the business of the City, sort of a mental retreat, although it is about 2 ½ hours from the Bay Area, but still such a wonderful cool Fall feeling.



Doyle said we should plan to come here again next year, I hope so, other wise I’ll come by myself. It seems that starting in September kicks off all these wonderful Harvest/Halloween/Holiday treats, and I certain enjoy them with relish. I am reminded of some things that I use to do with my family, which I’ll talk about at a later time.



There are places to stay both in Columbia and within a short walking distance from the State Park as well as lovely places to stay in Jamestown and Sonora especially along Highway 108 the gateway to Yosemite; I’ve saved the listings for the next event for future reference. Not all take pets, so that will be a serious consideration.



I enjoy going to cemeteries and columbarium’s, the older the better, they have so much to “say”, yes Darklings, “to say.”



When Doyle and I were on our Ghost Walk at Columbia State Park, we enjoyed all the stories and “thrills” that were delivered by those hard working docents dressed up as the spirits of those deceased persons.



But the next day that we were going to leave, we stopped again at the Cemetery in Columbia and walked in the daylight among the graves to see them a little better.



There was one that arrested me, it gave the name and date of a man who died, at a relatively young age, but the cause of his death was simple and blunt, his epitaph read “Fell Down A Mine Shaft”, this caused us to stop and surmise and “talk” to the dead.



How and why, Dear Sir, did it come to be that you fell down a mine shaft?



An accident? Foolishness? Being unaware? Unsafe conditions? Did someone push you?



It seems that in our “talking” to him we attracted 2 other couples and they joined in on the “conversation” and for nearly an hour we spent time with this unfortunate person in “discussing” the predicament that led to his untimely end.



Granted the person in question was not with us in real time, his bones were interred 6 feet under us, but for some reason we felt that his spirit enjoyed our visit with him.



Which led our conversation as to what we would want on our tombstones, usually it was something benign “beloved something or other” or in the case of one of the gentlemen who said “Gone Fishing”.



Doyle asked me what I wanted on mine and I said “I’ll-Be-Back” Doyle thought this over for a few seconds and replied “Darling, you are one sick puppy.” I smiled in reply.



Indeed there are tombstones with unusual comments; two of the most famous is “I told ya I was sick” which does indeed exist and this other one “Here lies Lester Moore, 4 shots from a 44, no less, no more” Lester Moore was a Wells Fargo agent who was killed during a robbery, and some wag decided to emblaze how Mr. Moore died.



Doyle thought that perhaps as part of our travels we should take in historical cemeteries, which I could only agree, the Columbarium in San Francisco is one that I’d like to visit again and in Oakland the Chapel of the Chimes, Mountain View Cemetery, and St. Mary’s, they go back to when the city was founded, which should make for interesting “reading”.



So Darklings, when you go to a cemetery go “armed” with information as to all the meanings behind the symbols on those monuments, even the littlest engraved thing can speak a volume of meanings, sometimes if the grave has a metal fencing around it the designs on the fencing also has meaning.



There is a gravesite society called The Graveyard Rabbit www.thegraveyardrabbit.com

If you are interested in the symbolism on Gravestones these are a few web sites to check out:



www.pinterest.com/ctdebrajoy/taphophile/

www.thecemeteryclub.com/#1

www.graveaddiction.com/symbol.html



Of course if you either Google or Bing in the word Taphophile you will come across a number of websites that will give you information on grave symbols.



Now most symbols apply mostly to American or English Grave sites, but one can find much of the same thing for any European Cemetery, although there will be variances for each local culture, which if you become a Cemetery/Graveyard enthusiast you can add to your personal encyclopedia of gravesite symbols, who knows it may make you a Taphophile.



Frankly I think being a Taphophile is a wonderful hobby for an Elder/Elderly Goth or even just perfect for the Darkly inclined.



From there comes understanding burial customs, funerals styles, how to mourn, the history and symbolism of mourning which is a little different from Cemetery symbols.



If you go back on my blog to “My First funeral” Mar. 31, 2010 you will come across how a funeral was held in the 1950’s.



But there were things done that I didn’t mention in that post. Which I will do in another post.



Now about Smithsonian Vampires~~~



Darklings if you can get a copy of the October 2012 issue of Smithsonian magazine, they have a whole article about American vampires---yes Darklings, American vampires---it all started in 1990 in Griswold, Connecticut when some children playing near a hillside gravel mine found some graves and the story takes off from there.



I’m not going to spoil the information in the story so I suggest Darklings that you buy this copy of Smithsonian and add it to your collection of dark things, I know I am.



In the mean time I’m going to ask Doyle why he was trying to pulverize with a hammer, a couple of very old broken red bricks that he got from a demolition site the other evening. As a matter of fact he has about a half dozen of these old bricks pieces that were not salvaged for re-use and were tossed aside and is keeping them in an old bucket; knowing Doyle he has a perfectly good reason that is not readily apparent. But I’ll give him time, eventually he’ll tell me, no matter how strange his reasoning is.



Later Darklings

Going to a Ghost Walk~~~

Just a short post My Darklings,

Doyle and I are leaving in a few minutes with Belladonna in tow we are going to the historic Ghost Town of Columbia---they (the docents) are doing a Ghost Walk this weekend and we have made plans to attend.

Such a lovely way to help "kick off" the Halloween season.

We are hoping it won't rain this weekend but we are prepared for it---either way it will be a lovely, gothicly, drive there to the "Gold Rush Country" so many ghosts, so many old, old buildings with dark histories.

I'm already enjoying the idea.

Until a few days from now, take care my Darklings and have Gothic Fun.

Later, Darklings

Vacation update~~Lodi Review, wine and yard sales~~~

Well Darklings, I have a lot to post~~~




The beauty about laptops is they are much like a portable typewriter that the war correspondents used during World War II, Korea and Vietnam, now with a laptop and flash drives you can get the story out quicker or save it till one returns to home base.



So while I have a chance this morning I’m going to post a lot of “posts.”



Starting with this one~~~~



If you live in the Bay Area, do not discount Lodi as a place to get wines, I was very pleasantly surprised by the variety and quality of their wines. Of course if you go down the main drag all you see are just box stores and strip malls, but I did some serious research and found that they have an “Old Town Lodi” and wonderful one of a kind shops.



I love cheeses, but I have to be careful as sometimes too much cheese can cause problems, and as an Elder/Elderly Goth I know that problem all too well, but if you can go to Cheese Central on School Street you will not be disappointed. Now I happen to purchase some of their cheeses at the Thursday evening Farmers Market and they have fabulous jams and jellies. Another Shop in Lodi that I heard mentioned on “Eye on the Bay” is the Sea Salt Cottage, and it is as fabulous as they said.



I enjoyed lunch at the Dancing Fox Winery and Bakery, and went back on my last day before I returned home to get some bakery goods, which I know will last for several days. Just Heaven is the best way to describe it. Although some people said that their lunch was a “mixed-bag” in quality I felt that my lunch was quite good.



On the wines, I’ll leave that to your own choosing but I have to say I was not disappointed with the selection from D’Art Wines. Just excellent. There are many wineries in the area, and I recommend that you take just a week at least to enjoy the wine tasting rooms, but be prepared to have a very nice place to stay so you are not driving in an inebriated state.



I splurged and stayed for 4 nights at the Wine & Roses Hotel, it is a Hotel, Spa and Restaurant, a lovely romantic place for romantic couples, but not good for children---in that case take the kiddies to Disneyland. It was relaxing, pampering and well worth the big bucks that I spent there. On the Spa I went for the Wine & Roses Ultimate Treatment, the only thing that could equal it are the treatments at the Claremont Hotel and Spa…Ahhhhh Heaven.



For the remaining 3 nights I spent in Lodi I stayed at the Hampton Inn on Beckman Rd, don’t let the location put you off, it was very nice there, and priced very reasonably. And if you have children it is child friendly. Check out Trip Advisor for other places to stay.



There are in Lodi at least two child fun places, one of them is a science museum and the other is a small children’s amusement park perfect for the really little ones, check Lodi’s web site for more information.



While I was in Lodi at one of the wine tastings I met up with a young lady (well anyone under the age of 50 is young to me, but she was in her early 30’s) who is studying to be a Sommelier, not an easy thing to do as I understand it, having read a news article in a local paper. Her knowledge of wines was, in my opinion, amazing, but she said that she is not yet good enough to be considered a master at it.



I told her about my “middle class” wine purchases and she said that for California wines in my price range they were good choices, she did recommend a few to me that although more expensive I should treat myself to at least once in my life. Something I’m going to have to save up for.



I asked her what she was partial to and she said she had a weakness for the Portuguese Dry red wines and the Southern Italian Reds as well, she felt that the French wines could be “finicky” which was her word for it, but she was still tracking down a French red wine she felt good with. She still had not determined which of the white wines would be her favorite.



She was very into the history of the different wineries both here and in Europe and told me that if California had not rescued the French vines when France had that dreaded moth invasion many of our fine varietals would have been lost forever, she felt that France really doesn’t give California enough credit for having saved the wine industry. She also is studying California and other wines made here in the United States and said that we can sometimes be surprised by what can turn up.



Because we wanted to continue our conversation she joined me as my guest back at Wine & Roses for Dinner and we had a marvelous conversation over the wonderful food that was served, about the twists and turns in our lives, she agreed with me that we may not live the life that we want but we do live the life that we need to live.



We exchanged business cards and e-mails and made plans to get together in the latter part of October at an Oktoberfest she recommended and told me to bring Doyle as well.



I had so much fun at the Thursday Farmer’s Market in Lodi, and it is so interesting to see the differences in produce that each Farmer’s Market carries in various areas. I had fun making what I call “pantry purchases” of spices, jams, preserves and such that I will enjoy stocking my pantry with.



But home again, home again on Saturday so I would have had at least Sunday to do my laundry and get everything ready for work on Monday. But even on Saturday I had a chance to stop at a Yard Sale---yes Darklings, maybe I should put a banner on the back of my car that says “I brake for all funerals, cemeteries and Yard Sales”, and this one was a delight to check out.



I found a wonderful incense burner in a type of bronze of an Indian chief with a peace pipe, sitting on a blanket, the chief and the blanket are two parts with the blanket (also made of metal) to hold cone incense and then you place the chief over it and it looks like he’s blowing smoke and smoke coming out of the pipe as well. I determined that the style was from the late ‘teens to 1920’s when such things were very popular.



I also found several 1920’s fortune telling decks, and a peculiar looking tarot deck, it was only the major arcana but the designs were from the 1920’s but with the faces of skulls. I thought these decks would look good in my cabinet of curiosities in my library.



It turned out that the yard sale was really an estate sale, an elderly relative had died and I found a darling sugar and creamer in the darkest blue color I have ever seen right from the 1940’s, and a dark grey handbag from I. Magnin’s of San Francisco from the 1950’s which will go very well with my hat that I bought at the Vintage Fashion Fair a few days before I left for Lodi.



There were other things as well that I purchased, some period costume jewelry, and other things, and then I had to leave, since I knew I would be driving west and towards the setting sun, I wanted to leave before the sun was so low that it would be in my eyes while driving, not a good thing really, especially as one gets closer to the insanity of driving in the Bay Area.



If there is one thing I learned Darklings is this, if you are driving East in the early morning the Morning Sun will be in your eyes but will rise higher and get out of your way, but driving east in the late afternoon is fine, but if you are driving West it’s better to do it in the early morning with the sun behind you as the late afternoon sun can be blinding. North or South is not a problem.



But I always make it a policy to never drive after 3 p.m. when I’m on a trip, it’s always better to find a place to stay, otherwise you’re heading into commute traffic or evening can quickly come upon you during the late fall and winter months especially in the mountains.



And then I was home, happily greeted by Doyle who helped me unpack my car, and put away my wines and panty supplies as I loaded a load of clothes into the washing machine and finished unpacked my bags and putting things away, Doyle later stored the suitcases away with cedar blocks in them to keep out moths and such.



We went to pick up my little Belladonna who was delirious to see me, with barks of “Mommy you found me, don’t leave me again”. My sitter told me that she and Belladonna got along fine but she did miss me. With that in mind I am more determined than ever to not leave Belladonna behind if at all possible.



Fortunately I did not have to make dinner either Saturday or Sunday as Doyle wanted to stretch out my vacation just a little more without having to worry about dinner preparations, also he wanted to celebrate as he had successfully concluded his part in the investigation and it was all turned over to lawyers. I told him about the Oktoberfest in October and he said he would make sure to have that time free.



So now I am putting together my lists of places and events, things to see and plan on. Already I’m feeling a tug to explore something strange and new but I’m going to have to wait and save up my money and plan. I know I want to go North again but this time further North, to drive through huge trees and see if I can spot Sasquatch, to see bizarre things and hear the roar of the ocean on the Northern Coast, sort of a touch of “Dark Shadows” in a way, find my own “Collinswood”. Who knows…..maybe find Barnabas Collins…..???



Later Darklings.

The End of a Vacation~~& the Shuttlecraft

Hello My Darklings,

I am home.  

I returned later yesterday afternoon, first un-packing my car and putting things away, with Doyle's help.

Started a run of laundry and picked up my Belladonna who was happy to see me.  I have so much to post, but I'm going to save it for another time as I am still getting myself together to be able to return to the work force tomorrow.

Oh how I will hate to have to return to the mundane world, but I must.

On my return home I could feel Fall had arrived, the scent in the air, the change in the atmosphere, the landscape turning brown and going to dust, but the excitement of traveling and discovery was such a tingling experience that I want to do it again and again.

I am reminded of an episode of the T.V. program "Thriller" titled "Masquerade"  where this young couple who are traveling around the country with a trailer and looking for places to explore are trapping in this house of demented people, they somehow manage to excape and we think they are such heros, only to discover as they go into the sleeping area of their trailer that it contains a double coffin for them to sleep in.
Doyle has suggested that perhaps we should look into an RV to travel in.  But I love my home, but it is a thought.

Doyle has saved me the trouble of dinner, thank goodness.  So we will go out, with little Belladonna in tow in her carry all.

Doyle also managed to video tape the Shuttle's Fly-over the Bay Area espeically over the Golden Gate Bridge,  as I watched it I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, and yes, patriotism.  Such old fashioned feelings but this fleet of Shuttles' taking us a step further into space, and now with Curiosity on Mars...I do not have the words for it.   Although I have not built the craft nor was in anyway directly involved, the feeling of what we can do is amazing and that is where I get my feelings from.

Doyle told me that a little girl was asking her Mommie  "Why is the Shuttle pulling the airplane?"   The Mother looked at Doyle and he said, "Let her think that."   When he told me that I laughed in amusement, the child's focus was in its own way correct, and that would be a moment for the Mommy to remember for a life time.  Doyle noticed the Mommy was confused so he said "It's to help the Shuttle land, when it get's to Los Angeles" and that seemed to satisfy the child.

In the next few days I will post the wined up of my trip.  But for now my Darklings,  check the stores, the Halloween goodies are out!

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary 6A~~~a Dancing Fox and JLo

I know Darklings what a combination,

I didn't think I'd post so soon but right now I'm unwinding after a busy day, then I will freshen up and go to dinner.

I've had the most fun in my wine tour, meeting people and discovering things.  Lodi appears to be the Zinfandel capital of the world and by going to the Chamber of Commerce it's like being at a huge wine tasting, so many varieties on display.  They really push it.

The Thursday Farmer's Market occurs in the evening, when things cool down and it was a wonderful experience with food, handcrafted items, entertainment, quite the event.  But Lodi in the San Joaquin County has like Napa, Calistoga and Sonoma and parts of San Jose, the perfect conditions for wine growing, but the evenings tend to be very cool after the hot days in Fall, so having a heavy sweater does pay off.

I bought so many things that I had to buy another suitcase,  I didn't bring my Samsonite as I wasn't planning to use an evening gown, but Lodi is not very back watered either---my concierge directed me to a Kohl's Department store in town where I found a roller weekend duffel bag in the Jennifer Lopez collection in Cheetah Print---growl!  Just perfect for all you Gothic animals out there.

And perfect for me if I plan to use just a weekender,  I've been in touch with Doyle and he says he has several weekends planned for us in October so for me to be prepared to travel some more, which I'm looking forward to.

Several times for lunch I went to the Dancing Fox Deli, I know Darklings, what an unusual name, but evidently its after the fable of the "Fox and the Grapes" and I remember as a child when I and the family was camping, one twilight evening my father and I went to a meadow and we saw a pair of foxes and they were hopping around like they were dancing, it was a special magical moment that I and my father shared

But getting back to the Deli I have to say that each time I have had an excellent lunch, I was told by a regular that sometimes it varies depending upon who is the cook or food preparer, but I have not been disappointed, their cranberry salad has become my weakness.

And I have found several brands of Zinfandel to add to my growing wine collection.  Doyle has also told me that my other weakness, Pumpkin Spice Latte is now being offered at Starbucks---the timing seems so perfect I think I died and went to heaven.

I know Darklings it may not seem so Gothic but wine and knowing good wine is an experience one should have, it is the "blood of the earth" as some people have referred to it and the pressing of the grapes signals the beginning of the end of the growing season, to be followed by the culling or slaughter of the herds and the preserving of the fruits, vegetables and meats for the hard dark winter that comes, it signals the dark period to come.  And for us to survive we must drink the "blood of the Earth".

Now I'm going to get into the shower and head out for dinner,  I'm going to indulge at the Wine and Roses Restaurant one last time, and then tomorrow home again.  But Doyle will spoil me a little when I get home and I'll be happy to see Belladonna, I bought her a sweater that's black with skulls and cross bones knitted into it perfect for Halloween or a Goth dog.

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary 5 A and mystery of Vera West~~~

Well Darklings,

I had fun for the last few days, I found a few more bits of information on the mystery of Vera West and totally updated that page.   All I can say is it gets more convoluted and strange.

My bags are packed, my car is ready for me to go on my next leg of my trip.

To Lodi, how mundane sounding, but I'm willing to give things a try.

Belladonna will go to her sitters tomorrow morning, she is not going to be happy that Mommy is gone again.

Doyle is going to stay at my house to collect mail and the newspapers.  I know, why doesn't Doyle take care of Belladonna, we'll he's on a case as well and cannot be distracted by a little demanding dog, even if she is cute.

I had fun last night at this Vintage Fashion Fair they also featured Steampunk clothing and jewelry, there was even a Steampunk Costume Contest.  Free Food, Free Drinks and a good time, and I found some very interesting things for my vintage clothing collection.

What will I find in Lodi, I haven't a clue, but I do have a few recommended places to try, which I will post when I return.

And while I'm gone for those of you who love mysteries, do read my updated Vera West page. 

For now Doyle has returned home and is insisting that we go to this sinister looking Chinese restaurant for dinner---not to worry I know the food is good,  it's just that sometimes I feel that either Terry and the Pirates, the Dragon Lady or Indiana Jones (2nd movie) may suddenly appear, oh well, a little excitement can spice up one life.

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 4 A~~thoughts as a child and now~~~

Hello Darklings,


I’ve had several people ask me on my trip how did I transport my wines, since keeping them in a car that can get very hot can destroy the flavor of the wine and turn it into vinegar.


It’s easy really; I don’t keep it all the time in the car, only when I’m transporting it.


I’ve purchased several canvas bags that are partitioned to carry up to 4 bottles of wine, these bags I padded with extra padding used for quilting, this helps prevents the bottles from cracking. Since I was going to several wineries in one day I also had a very large cooler packed with blue ice, the blue ice I put into heavy duty freezer bags to prevent the labels on the bottles from becoming wet or damp. I’d put the bottles still in the canvas bags into the cooler as I went to the next winery.


Although not perfect I have done this before and it has prevented any spoilage.


Now most of my hotel rooms have a refrigerator, so when I return to the hotel I move the wine out of the cooler in the car and put it into the hotel room and turn the air conditioner on to keep the room cool, and then I go back to the cooler to get the blue ice and put it into the refrigerator over night.


So all perishables go with me into my hotel room and any non-perishables I keep in a collapsible crate (it looks like a milk crate) in the trunk of my car, with the exception of the perfumes and jewelry.


When I travel I travel with at least two collapsible crates and one large cooler in my car trunk, I put my luggage into the trunk as well, what doesn’t fit I put on the floor of my back seat and cover with a very dark colored blanket that matches the color of my car floor so that way it’s not easy to see.


If I am going to stay more than over night then everything is put into my hotel room, otherwise it’s just the perishables and what I’ll need for the next day.


When I go grocery shopping either at the store or farmers market I do the same thing, it’s very good for frozen or refrigerated items and the crates prevent smaller items from rolling around or becoming squeezed or damaged, especially bakery goods. It’s amazing how well things can be preserved without too much worry. Of course with cakes you have to be carefully with the type of frosting, some types will melt and side off but I can’t remember if its butter cream or another kind of frosting, I’ll have to look it up.


If I have a lot of shopping I determine what sort of day its going to be, if its the farmer’s market, then I combine it with the grocery store and everything comes home and gets put away, then I go out again to finish my shopping. This is because most farmer markets open early in the morning and close early.  There is one that is open from May through September in the evenings, and I do enjoy that one espeically if the days have been hot.


But if I’m only purchasing at the grocery store then I do my other errands first and then finish at the grocery store.

This is where planning your trips maximizes your time and fuel usage. This is something I remember from how my Mother did her shopping. But we did have an advantage one of our major grocery stores was only half a block away so we walked to it, as a matter of fact our home was only a half a block away from the business district so it was easy to walk to everything.


My father took the bus to work, if Mother wanted to go shopping at one of the major stores to get clothing for me and my siblings she’d take the bus to go “Down Town”, because that is where the major stores were like Capwells, Sears, Montgomery Wards, J.C. Penney’s, Rhodes, Goldman’s, Brunner’s, I. Magnin, Macy’s, and San Francisco’s magnificent City of Paris store. If we went to San Francisco to shop we were not going Down Town, we were going to “The City”.


How I remember how we did that. My brother thought shopping was boring, so Mother would have a neighbor baby-sit him, usually someone that my brother was friends with their child to play with, and Mother would reciprocate later on. She’d take me and my sister because we loved to shop and we were always on our best behavior, because if we misbehaved we would not be able to go next time she went Down Town or especially to “The City” so we were always good.


We dress up in our Sunday best for that type of shopping, how I remembered being so awed at the stain glass ceiling of a ship plowing through the waters at the City of Paris store, it was a rarity to go there but once in a while we did. One time we went there to get a Samsonite traveling suit case for my Grandmother and a good traveling suit, she was flying back east to visit relatives she had not seen in ages, and she wanted to look her best.


I still have my grandmother’s suitcase, as a matter of fact I used it during this trip of mine, but Grandma was buried in her good traveling suit, I remember how lovely she looked in it when she went back east, and how lovely she looked in it when we buried her wearing it. As a matter of fact, Mother went to a florist shop and bought an orchid corsage and pinned it to Grandma’s suit before the casket was closed.


One of my aunts’ remarked that ‘Grandma looked like she was going on a trip’. I felt that was a beautiful thought. When my Mother died I did the same thing and just whispered to her, “Mom, I know you are on a trip with Dad, enjoy it, I’ll met up with you eventually. Don’t worry I have the map, I’ll find you.” And some day I will.


But all those wonderful stores that were Down Town are gone, now it looks like a bunch of Ghetto stores, nothing wonderful anymore. Of course San Francisco’s Union Square has their stores, but the feeling is not quite the same. And I find Shopping Malls very distasteful, seeing people dressed with clothing that hang off the hips, showing butt cracks, muffin tops, bellies hanging over a waistband, not shaved, or with bed-head hair, flip-flops and no style. I’ve found when I walk into a better store such as Macy’s the sales staff seem a bit in awe of me, I guess wearing a hat, gloves, that have a retro feel to it is a bit startling. But I’ve noticed that the staff stand up straighter, are more helpful and generous with their time.



When I go to the grocery store I always have a bagger wheel my cart for me and help me load it into my car, and many of them know that I tip them for that service. They always refuse the tip but I always make sure they get their tip, especially now when times are tough.


I have always said that it pays to be classy and observe the niceties; you’d be amaze at what excellent service you get. You don’t have to be a millionaire, just classy---Steve Jobs’ jeans and black t-shirt? Forget it, that’s only if you’re working on your car, in the garden, cleaning the house or oven, or dumpster diving.


And now I’ve confirmed all my plans for the next leg of my vacation, poor Belladonna is not going to be happy, frankly I'm not happy leaving her behind but she’ll survive, she'll be safe with her sitter,  but I have to confess it does feel good to have her snuggle up to me, especially on these cool fall nights.

I will post, hopefully from my location in Lodi or when I return I am not sure.  The good thing is I will not be leaving until Sunday, which gives me and a friend of mine a chance to attend a vintage fashion show Friday evening,  I know I'm going to have fun with that.
Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 4~~~~~

Well Darklings,


I finished my last day up in the Napa wine country with a flourish, and maybe did a bit too much, but with so many things to see on the last day I did not want to miss a minute of it.

Getting up early and having a quick breakfast, I left to go to my first event, which was a Senior’s Yard Sale of all things, funds raised go to various senior activities at this Senior Citizen Complex and I was very glad I got there, I did a quick look around and purchased a few retro items but my best haul was this one elderly lady that was laden down with a couple of heavy bags which she finally put on her table, it turned out that she had perfumes and colognes for sale, she couldn’t wear them because it caused her to sneeze violently, she had them priced so cheaply and many still were in their original boxes, I bought most of them for twice what she was asking.



I told her I collect perfume bottles, but really how often can one get a brand new, unopened Georgio Red, Bulgari or Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Pearls for $1.00 a bottle??!! Not often. So I paid $2.00 a bottle and as my Daddy would say “Made out like a Bandit!” Now some of the more girly, girly perfumes geared towards the teens, I left but I purchased 2/3’s of her stock. She said I was paying too much but I told her that it’s going towards a good cause and she was happy.



I did another quick walk around and then went to my next stop The American Folk Art Festival at the Madonna Estate Winery, they were featuring their release of their Hallo Vine Wine, an estate bottled 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a wine and chocolate tasting as well as excellent foods and artistic and antique items for sale, I had an early lunch there, enjoying the activity, sights and sounds, it was a wine fest for the eyes, ears, and taste buds; Proceeds to support a local community theatre. I bought a bottle of their estate wine, if nothing else to help support their efforts. It seems they have this every year at about this time of year.



From there I went to the “Just Be Claus” Fall Extravaganza at the American Legion Hall, again another fund raiser, and purchased some home made preserves, and some pot holders for my kitchen. It was handmade decorations and specialty foods and such for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there were some goodies I could not pass up.



I managed to get an early dinner at a Mom and Pop restaurant (more of a burger joint) that I came across, really a small place, and I wish I had written down the name, but I had the most delicious juicy hamburger with melting Swiss Cheese, and instead of fries they offered a refreshing Cole Slaw that made me think of some of the “burger joints” my Dad and Mom would stop at with us kids on a Saturday afternoon, I felt myself carried away to wonderful loving memories.



“Mom” told me that they get their meat fresh every day, “none that frozen stuff” she said and the same with the Slaw, they were in their late 60’s and I found myself chuckling when some other “ol’ timers” came in and I heard the words from “Mom” going to “Pop” calling out “Order Up! Burn two take them through the garden and put a rose on it!” which meant two hamburgers with lettuce, tomatoes and onions (the rose).



Another old timer came in grabbing a cup and pouring himself a “cuppa joe” then going to a booth to join the two other men. My order was “Burn one, take it through the garden forget the roses add Cowbells” which meant a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes no onions but put Swiss cheese (Cowbells—Swiss) I felt as if I had been transported back in time, in a way I almost hated returning to reality but I knew I had to.



I finished up my excursion by going to a Jewelry Trunk show and Conn Creek Wine tasting at the Grand Hand Gallery, there were many one of a kind pieces, some a little pricey, but I found the most magnificent ring, it was worth going into debt for.



On Monday my trip home brought back the realities of the traffic and congestion that 880 has to offer, so it was a good thing that at Cordelia Junction I turned off and took a different route home, granted it can be a bear as well but nothing like dealing with going past University Avenue and Berkeley, that is total insanity. I quickly unpacked my car putting away my treasures in the cellar that I’ve had set up in the basement, and my preserves in my pantry.



Laundry was sorted and the first load ran, I called and left a message for Doyle that I was home, then I went to pick up my little Belladonna. She was soooo happy to see me. I gave my sitter some gifts for her and she told me of how things had been in the neighborhood. I made arrangements with her to baby sit when I leave again the following Sunday, Belladonna will not be happy, but on my next trip I plan to take her with me. Then home again, to face the mail and the bills. Doyle came by and said he would take me out to dinner so I’d not have to cook on my first day home and I snuck little Belladonna in her doggie carry all as well, I did not want to leave her home alone after I had been gone for so long.



Doyle made arrangements to have my car serviced and checked out, and make sure its running fine, bills paid, junk mail shredded, newspapers re-cycled. I shared with Doyle what I discovered and regretted that he could not come with me, but he has a case he needs to work on. But we’ve made plans to go back later in the year and with Belladonna.



Doyle said I looked refreshed and invigorated, I said that going on a trip is fine but one needs to be grounded in reality as well.



I know Darklings, did I do anything Goth? Not really with the exception of finding dark rich red wines, touring Castles, discovering the power of nature, and being totally hedonistic with massages and treatments from the Dr. Wilkerson Resort and Spa and at the Whitehouse Inn, it was so wonderful, that I really didn’t want to leave, so sybaritic. All I can say is that I will post their links and you can find your special “Lotus Land”.

On my next post, I’ll only be in Lodi but staying in two different locations. Doyle said I should look into the wineries in Livermore in the future. Livermore---home of the Livermore rodeo, cowboys and wine? Who knows?

I think next year I will tour North again to the Trees of Mystery and the Avenue of the Giants, become lost in the redwoods, walk along Moonstone Beach, perhaps spot Bigfoot, cut over to see the Devils Post Pile, who knows where my travels will take me.


Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 3~~~~

Hello Darklings,

Here is my update on my wine trip North to Napa, Sonoma and Calistoga.  The day after tomorrow I will be returning home, to carefully put away my treasures, and snuggle up to my Belladonna---and also do the mundane things like laundry, have my hair done, pay bills.  Oh Well Darklings, you cannot be gothiclly gorgeous unless you do laundry and have your hair styled.  And I’m also having my mechanic do an oil change on my car.  Mundane, mundane, mundane---it does bring one down with a bit of a “bump”. 

BUT~~~~~

I ‘ve had  the most wonderful time of exploration, discovery, and wine buying, both on the road and on the internet.  Yes, Darklings the internet.

As you know several places I wanted to stay would not take dogs, so I had my elderly neighbor take care of Belladonna, something that I really regret doing as I miss her intensely but if I wanted to stay at these places I had no choice.  Fortunately I’ve been calling her sitter and it seems they are doing very well.  But I’m afraid Belladonna is being very spoiled… ahhh well that is a chance one has to take.

So what I have done was first go North to the Napa, Sonoma wine areas then I will return   home, take care of Belladonna for a few days and then go to Lodi for nearly a week.  It breaks my heart having to leave her behind, I’m beginning to wish that more places would accept dogs, but you have to have good dog owners that will use K-9 Advantage Plus and make them flea free to make it possible.   I’d even be willing to pay extra at some of those places for a doggie baby sitter, but that is not possible at most places. 

What I did is using the internet I checked out events that would be happening at the locations I wanted to go to and based on that made my travel arrangements, and there is something to be said for starting one’s vacation during the week instead of the weekends.  Lower rates, children back in school not that I have anything against children, only their parents who do not monitor them properly (yes I know I’m being judgmental but don’t you also thing the same Darklings?), traffic is not quite as bad, less noise in your hotel.

I made Napa and then Calistoga my home base in the North, and I have not been disappointed, the big question is which wineries to choose from, I can recommend going to www.napawinery.com/ for a selection of tasting rooms, lodging and places to visit and eat.  I mean don’t take my suggestions Darklings, you choose what you want.

I started out at Best Western Inn At The Vines, which I discovered is pet friendly, as I had booked for the Napa Wine Train for their Moonlight tour, so heavenly.  I was glad that I had booked so far in advance as seating was at a premium and limited. And I used my time the day before and after to visit several wineries.

Then I stayed at the very upscale Bed and Breakfast Whitehouse Inn during the mid-week and received  a lower rate, as a matter of fact if you stay for 3 nights you get a 4^th for free, it is a saving, and with very pleasurable amenities but it is big bucks, so save up Darklings, save up.

When seeing the Inn for the first time you think you’re in the anti-bellum South, but in California. As I’ve said they have special rates as well for mid-week which is a good thing to plan on, unfortunately the Whitehouse Inn cannot accommodate pets and it is not a good place for children, too adult and too boring for the munchkins, but perfect for a romantic get away.

From the Whitehouse Inn I went to several wineries that had been suggested to me as well as visiting historic places including the Hess Collection where one can enjoy wine and art.

What wineries I went to?  Well there were a number of them, too many to list but stock up I did, reds and whites, sparkling, desert,  it really depends upon one’s individual taste, so it’s best that I leave it up to you although I had fun; at the Sterling winery the tram ride over the vineyards to the winery gave a wonderful view and Francis Ford Coppola’s  Rubicon winery.  Of course shopping in Historic downtown Napa was also a treat, I did want to take in the shops there. 

I took in the castle tour of Castillo De Amorosa, worth the price in my humble opinion.

I enjoyed the Napa River Cruise, which with a naturalist takes you on a river tour of the flora and fauna as well as the historic aspect of the Napa River on a wonderful luxury electric river boat.

And there were other things to take in but again I recommend you do your own planning by going to the websites.

I find that when one wants to stay at a better quality Hotel/Motel and are on a budget Best Western seems to fit the bill in most cases, there are others but I recommend seeing what other travelers have to say.

But if you have the funds and no children or encumbrances Whitehouse Inn is an indulgence worthwhile.

My next stop is here in Calistoga and if you are in Calistoga you must take in the mud baths and I recommend the one that got it started,  Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort, I’m finishing my last three days there.

Of course I could not pass up our own Old Faithful geyser in Calistoga; I had packed, at a recommended deli, a personal picnic lunch which I enjoyed there at the geyser as well as doing a bit of people watching.   I watched as the blasting heated water spouted up high into the sky, and I suddenly realized that what was causing it was this water becoming super-heated by buried volcanic action.  That somehow a volcano could erupt at any moment under our feet, I looked at the people around me the adults with their children and thought “Don’t you realize that we could suddenly die if Mother Nature gets really nasty, that we are only feet from death?”  I took a few deep breaths to calm and center myself, and remembered it is wise to know that death is only a hairs breath away from us.

I took a relaxing walking personal tour of our own Petrified Forest in Calistoga as it was close by and made sure I used my parasol to keep off the most harmful of the sun’s rays.  

It is amazing looking at these huge petrified trees looking as if they were only felled just a few days ago, but realizing that it had occurred millions of years ago when our own Mt. St. Helena exploded like Mt. St. Helens did just a few decades ago.  It had me thinking, will those trees covered by volcanic ash eventually become petrified millions of years from now?  It caused me to shudder with that thought.  And even as I walked I realized that on occasion my feet stepped upon buried petrified wood, possibly even fossils of those animals that had lived back then.  That thought was too tremendous to even wrap my mind around it.

Even now I am still amazed by these revelations.

Sunday there are a few events I hope to be able to attend close by,   then Darklings I will return home for a few days to catch up on mail, indulge in my little four footed darling and pack away my wines and goodies from my trip up north as well as doing mundane things.

Now some of the wineries are a bit commercial and for more discerning wine critics too boring to be of use, but then I went for the vacation, and I cannot spend $100 a bottle for wine, but I want my wine to taste good.

Remember Darklings, most of the more publicized wineries are a bit touristy so expect that, but for me they did not disappoint.

I will start with Castillo di Amorosa winery ---- I’m afraid some were too mundane for my taste how ever I strongly recommend going on their Castle and wine tour, that in itself is a treat, sort of a wine Disneyland for adults and a wonderfully Gothicly photographic  place.   I did buy their desert wine “Fantasia” which I found very much to my liking, a perfect light desert wine for a Summer or warm Fall evening.  I also was intrigued by their red “IL Brigante” their red wine blend and bought a bottle of it as well.  The IL Barone was recommended to me and I found it most intriguing but I could not afford it at over $150 a bottle.

Sterling Vineyards~~~~Darklings you have to take the Tram ride, it really gives you a wonderful perspective of the land around you and much safer than a Hot Air Balloon ride, sorry Darklings, I still dislike air travel.  But about the Wines, I found myself attracted to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford and the Petit Sirah, North Coast.

The Hess Winery collection---Darklings I could not choose, but beside their art collection they are also organically growing their grapes in a sustainable style, but I felt I was overwhelmed by the choices until I succumbed to their 19 Block Cuvee 2008 vintage.  Why that one I do not know but succumb I did.  I think there was something about the taste that reminded me of something very pleasurable.

There were a few others along the way, but I decided I would save myself from purchasing until I had a chance to do a more informative wine tasting with a friend of mine who is far more knowledgeable.

While I was in Napa at the Napa General Store I did their wine tasting as well and made notes to go to the wineries they suggested at a later time and more like an overnight run to those places.

One thing at the Whitehouse Inn is at 6 p.m. in the evening they would hold a wine and cheese tasting from various wineries and again I took notes.  With these two places it saved me from a lot of driving around.   Then afterwards I would go out to dinner, sans wine, because one can over indulge.

Now one would think that I will have gone a long, long distance but really Napa and Calistoga is only slightly one hour away from the San Francisco Bay Area, and if you down load the brochure from the Petrified Forest there is a simplified map showing the area.  How close and yet just far enough to enjoy for a day, a weekend, a week.  The choice is yours.

Also while I’ve been relaxing I had a chance to write up some “musings” on being an Elder/Elderly Goth, I will post them at a later time.

My next blog will be either from Lodi or from home when I return on my last leg of my vacation.  I hope to be able to start a separate links page of places to visit for your edification and pleasure.

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 2~~~

Well Darklings,

Let me fill you in on what I’ve done so far.

Currently I’ve had a very wonderful indulgent stay at the White House Inn, a very upscale Bed and Breakfast with Spa, for the last 4 nights, I leave tomorrow morning for my next destination in my little trip
Previously I had a lovely stay at the Best Western In At The Vines, they are pet friendly and child friendly and not only recreational oriented but business oriented as well. I’m recommending it to several business friends of mine.

I arrived early last Thursday the previous week, so I had a chance to settle in and do some shopping in down town historic Napa. There are so many shops to choose from, but having arrived early for check in I made sure that my reservation was set, left my luggage with the concierge and decided on a lunch on the Napa River.

This led me to the Napa General Store where they offer river front dinning
I purchased things at the Napa General Store, one would think they sell old-fashioned things but it’s not like any general store I’ve come across. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as box lunches (must be ordered in advance) wine tasting as well as an assortment of décor items.

I fell in love with and purchased a pair of antique tile and wrought iron candle scones that I’m planning on putting into my greenhouse in the future. For now I’ll keep them stored and labeled.

I had the pleasure of indulging in their wine tasting a few days later. There were other shops I went to after lunch and the walk did me good, it is important to have good street walking shoes that don’t look like tennis shoes and will hold up to all kinds of street wear. I’ll switch to tennis shoes if I know I’m going to be doing something rough, but if you are into serious hiking then shoes specific for the terrain is very important.
I discovered another nice little place to stay called the River Terrace Inn right on the Napa River, and from the reviews I’ve read it seems to be a wonderful place to stay. So I’ll put that on my list as well for future trips.

For dinner that evening I did plain budget dinning at the Denny’s restaurant near the Best Western Hotel, while not an overly extravagant Hotel it was a very nice stay.

The only problem that I had that first night, was a small child that was having fun in running up and down the hall for over 10 minutes, which is fine except that it was 10:30 at night. When I stuck my head out to find out why this munchkin was running, a parent came out saw me, apologized, and said her child had ADD or ADS (attention deficient syndrome) but taking a look at him with his freckles and red hair I figured it was more like a case of serious mischievousness, although one should not judge, there are children with that problem, but I do suspect that some that have been diagnosed with that really are not and it just becomes a convenient label. If that sounds judgmental, I will not apologize; I’ve been around enough children and their parents to know the difference.

And considering it was 10:30 p.m. a time when all good 6 year olds are in bed, the mother was a bit discomforted when she saw me in my black silk nightgown and robe ala 1930’s and although I’m in my 60’s my face has not fallen in or wrinkled (good genes and good care) and I was wearing my black satin mules which gave me a little height. So after she apologized I looked at her and smiled showing my perfect teeth (also well maintained and brightened) and said (and I love this line) “I love children too, usually medium rare with a good Chianti and a side of fava beans.”

I loved seeing the mother’s face and then I said “It is time for all good little people to be in bed, but he is so cute I could just eat him up.” And still smiling I said “Goodnight” and closed the door.


Needless to say the child did not run in the hall after that evening or any other time while I stayed there. When the parents saw me the next day they pulled their child very close to them after I looked at them, nodded and smiled.

That next evening I had the most wonderful experience on the Napa Valley Wine Train with their Moonlight Dinner special. I managed to get a seat in the Vista Dome car as one party had only 3 people, their 4th was unable to come on the trip with them. They were pleasurable companions; one even remarked that I reminded him of a movie actress from long ago, especially since I was in evening dress, I told him that I love the styles of the early to mid 20th century as it had class, which flip-flops, saggy jeans and exposed muffin waists have destroyed. And although I maybe overdressed I felt I should indulge in glamour since there is so precious little of it in this world today. He and his companions nodded and agreed.

I had suggested that we not talk politics as everything on the political front was see-sawing and it seems they were very happy with that suggestion so we talked about wine, and history, places to stay, places to see. I gained a lot of information for future trips, as well as suggestions for my current trip.
They told me about the Wine Train’s mystery tour which they’ve booked tickets to and were bringing some friends, unfortunately I could not get on that one in time.

All too soon the trip was over, and I drove back to my Hotel. I found myself restless, so still dressed in my evening gown I walked about the pool and lounge area, of course some of the staff were a bit puzzled by my appearance there, but a charming gentleman came out and asked if I would like to share a pot of coffee or tea, I said yes, he brought out two cups and a small tea pot with sugar, cream and lemons on a tray, I had no idea who he was but he was younger than me but older than the desk staff, I suspected at first he might have been a night manager, he said he wasn’t but a frequent business guest although he seemed to have some sort of pull with the staff.

We sat and relaxed drinking our tea looking at what star light there was with some noises from a guest or a passing vehicle. We talked about things, he asked what I---a woman alone was doing, and I said “Traveling, enjoying things, being me.” He said that he had seen me check in the other day, and was surprised to see that I was using vintage Samosonite Luggage, I told him of my interest in vintage things but that my work required me to be in the here and now.

We talked of film noir, vintage cars, wine, and romance. When the conversation turned towards romance I looked at him with an upraised eyebrow and asked “And this is leading to?” He looked embarrassed, admitted to me that he was smitten by me, inwardly I laughed, a younger man smitten by me? I thought at first he was ‘playing me’ but I could see that he was earnest.

I said to him “Darkling, I think you are smitten by the ideal of something long past and you wonder how can you gain it back” which was true. So I suggested some things to him suspecting that he is married, and told him that life must always be a balance of work and of love or family, if you have children then within that portion there must be a balance between being the father and being the lover.

I suggested that he and his wife look into finding a very reliable sitter especially for the upcoming months and around the holidays. “There can be fun family things, but intersperse that with romantic things, don’t allow your work to overwhelm your private life otherwise you will have no life.”

He said that he felt that some things were taking some of fun out of life and was making life for him and his wife a bit of a drudge. He said that he and his wife love vintage things but wondered how to incorporate it, with two active boys, his daughter loved old things but that wasn’t a problem with the daughter because she was in harmony with her parents; it was mostly his and his wife’s interest and dealing with the boys, I said “Start with rebuilding a vintage car, have your boys learn all about restoration. Show off the car in parades, join a vintage car society, then get involved with an Art Deco Society, tame the boys and teach them etiquette, get them away from video games and really into life.” He thought about it.

I had the pleasure of seeing his face brighten, he had an answer, and he knew what to do, He became so excited about the idea that he gave me an enthusiastic kiss, and then began to apologize for it, but we laughed and I said that I did enjoy it and was glad to have given him some creative ideas. I said my good nights to him and walked slowly back to the elevator and to my room without looking back.

I did not turn on the lights in my room, but instead sat in a chair looking out the window at the moonlight, and finding myself smiling. I can still invoke something in a man even at my age. I knew I wasn’t being played, the look on his face told me that.

Did I feel disloyal to Doyle? No, because I was meant to meet this man, to give him advice, to be, for a fleeting moment a romantic (I hope) dream and then to disappear from him forever. Kismet some would say. Fate others would say. Inevitable I say.

I did not see him for the remainder of my stay, which was all to the good. In the matter of a couple of days I had a lovely little adventure.

I’ve been at the Whitehouse Inn for a few days taking in other wineries and a few adventures and at the moment relaxing and feeling very hedonistic. As soon as I can I’ll post further what I’ve been doing once I’m settled at my next location. I hope to be able to tell you of some of the wineries I’ve been to.

Later Darklings.

Vacation Diary Part 1 A~~~~

Well Darklings,

Just a brief addendum to my mini-diary.

I'm now at the Whitehouse Inn, have been here since Monday afternoon, I hope to post more tonight.

Met a very nice young man at Inn At The Vines a few days ago before I left to come here.  And was given a few suggestions of things to see.

It's been very warm up here, which makes it great for wine growing, but I've seen other fruits of the trees here as well.  Although there has been a marine layer in the Bay Area that has tempered some of the heat.

I was told by Belladonna's sitter that the temperature in the San Francisco bay area has been mild to cool between the upper 50's to mid 60's  that is why when you come to visit San Francisco be prepared to layer on and wear warmish clothing and then peel off as you leave the bay area, for any of you who plan to visit.

Now I must go, I have a few places to visit and hope to use the wifi to blog tonight for a more in depth update.

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary part 1~~~~

Hello Darklings,

I'm making use of the wifi here. 

Well Darklings, I've visited Sterling Winery yesterday and enjoyed several of their reds.  Hard to say which I liked best and I'm reluctant to suggest anything to anyone as it is always a personal taste, in my opinion.

But I did enjoy the Moonlight Dinner on the Napa Wine train Friday night, the food was good, the company excellent,  the wine delicious and the Moonlight on the vineyards intoxicating, it almost made me want to HOWLLLL---but I didn't.   I was lucky to have booked it so far in advance as this one does sell out quickly.   If you are into trains and wines, be sure to check out the Napa Wine Train and book well in advance.

I was staying at a Best Western In At The Vines, lovely place.  But in the next hour I'm going to going to the Whitehouse Inn and indulge in a bit of hedonistic relaxation and stay there for the next 4 days.   I'm planning on a Napa River Cruise as well and I've added another winery on my list.

I've called my baby sitter and my 4 legged baby, Belladonna is doing fine, misses her Mommy but is being spoiled with walks and treats.

I hope to be able to find wifi service and tell you more of what I've seen and done.  But now time to check out and on to my next locations.

Later Darklings.

Taking a vacation trip~~~~

Well Darklings,

I am ON VACATION!!!  The call of the open road beckons me, although I have to leave my dear Belladonna with her babysitter I know she will be well.

I hope to blog at least a couple of times if wiifii permits.

But not to worry I will return, just like a good vampire, no matter how many times one gets "staked" they keep coming back for more sequels.

Until later my Darklings, enjoy Life because it is never long enough and enjoy doing what you enjoy doing the most.


Later, Darklings.