Another Sunday outing at last

Hi y'all,

I didn't get away anywhere for a couple of weekends due to a long study cycle required of all staff at the College - and other deadlines of my own for my future business preparations.

I did however get a couple of very enjoyable Saturday dinners and great communication and business help at Suesan's place and I did get in a visit to Katie at Kingsley Manor.

At the College, our beautiful Russian trainee, Elena, has completed all her training and returned to Russia. She gave me a lovely thank-you card for all I'd done to help her and included her email address so we can stay in touch. I will miss her a lot.

Sadly, one of my young Tiawanese students who I also have a high affinity for, had his visa-extension request refused and had to return home to Taiwan. Weber is a very playful being and as he is only 18 he risks being pulled into a year's military service in his own country before he can reapply for another visa to come and complete his studies. That would be unfortunate.

This Saturday my friend Sue Z came back from a month away visiting her daughters on the East Coast and as it happened, Saturday was also her birthday. We went out to dinner at Out-Back Steak House and had an enjoyable time. Sue got to open her present from me and as I had arrived before her and let them know it was her birthday, they presented her with a yummy birthday desert - which I got to help her eat!

On Sunday I set on on the Hollywood/Ventura freeway north and went direstly to Carpintaria where I had left off my trip north last time. From Carpintaria I headed north again along the coast roads and found a small secluded beach to get an hour's sun and listen to the niose of the surf. There were only about 8 other people passed by the entire time I was there.

Then I headed north again past orchards and berry fields and then along a beautiful, almost deserted coast road with amazing mansions with big grounds and lush trees. They were all seaside properties and were the only thing between the sea and the road I drove on. How wonderful it would be to stay at one of those places for a while. I think it is the most tranquil place I have yet encountered on my coastal trips. Huge lush trees overhung both sides of this lovely, long country-style road and filled the yards of those amazing homes.

I continued on and soon made it to Santa Barbra - famous California beach-front city. There was a huge arts bazar all along the shore line so I parked and walked the entire distance one way and then back again - and then walked on to the huge pier and went all the way out to the end. There is traffic and parking and shops on the pier itself.

I got photos of a man making a sand sculpture of a dragon and its young and also of graceful pelicans gliding slowly just overhead.

Then I went back to the car and drove around the harbor and parts of the city before heading back south. The freeway was packed and crawling along so I took the coast roads again and got along much faster.

At one point I took a wrong turn and and found I was on the way inland to some place called Ojia. I almost turned around but then decided, "what the heck, I'll check it out". I drove for a long time along this twisting and turning mountain road going inland from the coast and up the mountains and down again and then to my surprise I came upon the view of a beautiful large lake, Lake Casitas. I stopped at rather risky places for great scenic photographs and headed down to the lake itself. At the reacreation area I asked the best way back to Los Angeles and the young guy in the camping grounds entry-booth was very helpful with simple directions.

It turned out that it was a different road from the one that lead to Ojia so I didn't actually see Ojia and headen on until I reached the freeway again. At this point it was dark but the freeway was moving fast and I had a fast hour-and-a-bit run back home, reaching here at 9:00 pm. I was tired out but with a feeling of accomplishment.

I'll talk to you again soon.

Love,
Barry