Twain Harte Road Trip - Day 02 - Our 45th Anniversary

We slept in until 8:00. That is pretty late for both of the old buzzards. As Linda was waking up she enjoyed looking up through the skylights to see the blue sky and the pine trees. Then she saw that there is a pine tree in one of the corners of the room with a duck on it near the top. There's a shelf in the kitchen area that is like half of a small canoe. Every lamp has bears or greenery or both on it. One of the floor lamps has 2 bears climbing up it. Every mirror has some kind of an outdoorsy theme. There's an old hand crank phone on the wall. Haven't tried it yet. Even the closet in the corner is cute. It is set at a 45 degree angle to the corner of the room.

Today marks the buzzards 45th wedding anniversary so Linda is appropriately wearing her sapphire ring (which also happens to be her birthstone). John's anniversary card was very green. Linda used it on their first anniversary, their third anniversary, their 40th and then again today. So in 5 years on their 50th it will be really green. That's a lot of use out of a 35 cent card from 1966. It especially came in handy this year since one of Linda's 2010 resolutions is not to buy any greeting cards.John's present from Linda was a joke book by Dr. Bill Wattenburg (of KGO radio fame). In it he already found one of his favorite jokes from childhood. Too long (and naughty) to repeat here but you can get the book from C Crane Radio if you want. Let's just share that his favorite line from it is "Diddy up doat".

After breakfasting on Shredded Wheat and toast with peanut butter (John) and Raw Bit Twang Twang (Linda) the buzzards were off to check out the 24 hour availability of WIFI at the Twain Harte library. While Linda enjoyed the cute library John found that their WIFI does work better than that available at our hideaway. You can even use it when the library is closed if your laptop has enough battery power. Just pull into the parking lot and have at it.

Then it was on to the Little Cottage Cafe for mocha and water. But before getting there Linda got drawn in off the sidewalk to Nature's Way where she found the perfect birthday present for Amber (turning one in July). It is a purplish foofy tutu with a headband to match. Please don't anyone spoil the surprise and tell her.

Next on the schedule was John's anniversary present to Linda. He chauffered her on a Thrift Shop Warrior adventure. Despite the closure of the Twain Harte Soropotomist Shop, there is still a plethora of nearly and not so nearly new establishments in the Gold Country. Linda struck it rich at all 3 that were on the route. She found frogs (for her garden), a bluejean coat, a moon and stars vest, a serving dish to replace one she broke not long ago and her favorite kind of BIG cup for tea.

It was then to Subway's for some $5 footlongs - a veggie delight (Linda) and a Italian BMT (John). We brought them back to our humble log cabin and ate them outside under the pines. Maggie helped John with two of his Cheetos and Linda with her Pringles. Gables Cedar Creek Inn is next to the Twain Harte Golf Course so we watched some players as they duffed past. After lunch Linda took a walk and John and Maggie took naps.

Linda got to town by staying at the edges of the golf course was able to avoid getting hit by any stray balls. One golfer even came over, complimented her hat, introduced himself (Chris) and suggested that if we really wanted to be happy we should retire and move to Twain Harte. John bets he is a realtor. (Nope, he is just a retired happy guy from Campbell). She told him we had thought about it in the past but now we have grandchildren who are too precious for us to be that far away from. (And, of course, our darling daughter, super son and sweet son-in-law.)

In town Linda explored a gift shop where she found another garden yogic frog too cute to resist. It is posed on a rock that says "Breathe". Next Linda scouted out a perfect spot to place a letterbox since Twain Harte, shockingly, has none at all...yet! When Linda arrived back at The Hideaway, John and Maggie Mae were both sound asleep so she tried out the recliner and studied the photo book about her "new" camera that she recently got as a hand-me-down from John when he upgraded.

We journeyed back to Sonora to get new batteries for our pedometers at Radio Shack, then have dinner at Pine Tree Restaurant. It's located with the Best Western Sonora Oaks motel. We've eaten there several times before. Once for Thanksgiving dinner. Linda had a nice Cajun salmon with salad bar. John had BFD (breakfast for dinner), a skillet scramble with eggs, sausage, gravy on cheese toast and home style potatoes on the side. Came with biscuits and gravy as well.

Time for today's history lesson: Years after the Mi-Wuk Indians (yesterday's lesson) had built cochums (houses) from trees and bark, gold was discovered in 1849, drawing white men to the foothills by the thousands. When the gold was exhausted, then came the lumbermen and the ranchers. Apple and pear orchards, cattle ranches and later, lumber mills began springing up around the Indian enclave. Twain Harte was named after the original owner of the Twain Harte Lodge's 2 favorite Mother Lode authors, Mark TWAIN and Bret HARTE. The village has grown to house summer dwellers and residents (many of them artists, who showcase their creations in the local gift shope and summer art festivals). The population on the sign coming into town says 2,586. End of history lesson for today. You can go back to your regular lives.

Today Linda is thankful to share a 45th anniversary with someone who she can still make laugh and who still makes her laugh. She is also thankful for snickerdoodles (fun to say and good to eat) and cute puppy sighs (from Maggie Mae). John is thankful that Sonora Pass is now open. He is also thankful that last 45 years were the happiest he could imagine and that Maggie Mae didn't throw up on the leather upholstery in Wilma Lou. Linda says TMI TMI TMI !!! John says "I can still be thankful."

Today's photo gallery of more than 40 photos can be reached by clicking here.

Video of Gables Cedar Creek Inn can be viewed by clicking here.