Two Months Worth of Blog at Once!

Welcome back all you intrepid armchair travelers.  Did you think we had deserted you?  Fear not, we are still alive and well in the state of California.

The Santa gig at Fashion Fair is over and Ross has recuperated for the most part.  It has been in interesting year at the mall however each day Ross had at least one child that made him laugh or lighten his mood.  All in all, the children have been wonderful….some of the parents could do with a little talking to, but that is another story.

The requests were all over the map but some of the most asked for gifts were Barbie (and all her accessories), Dora (and her stuff), Wii controller and games, Xbox and games, Nintendo DS and games, clothes, Toy Story stuff, books, other electronic games, and animals (stuffed and real – puppies, cats, hamsters, snakes).  The requests that really got to Ross were the ones from little ones wanting a bed of their own, a room of their own, a home, a Christmas tree, their parents to get back together again, and one young girl who really wanted her sister to have lived until after Christmas instead of dying late November.  Teenagers wanted clothes, clothes, money, gift cards, clothes, musical stuff, clothes, and makeup.  Young adults were on Santa’s knee only to get a picture for Mom…….or Dad………or Grandma.  Some young couples were asking for money, a mortgage, a house, a job, and one young man only wanted his sweetheart to marry him….he proposed on one knee in front of Santa and the lucky young lady and she said YES (applause all around the mall).  A few women from an earlier generation only wanted a man (one woman – age 62 (she told me) wanted a man – 30 to 35, tall, blond, well built, and “able to keep me….. happy”……..and to live longer than the rest of her husbands!!  Santa also heard many requests from all ages of children that they just wanted their families to be happy and have a great Christmas.

Santa saw babies from 3 days old and up.  Some were sleeping so that gave him a good excuse to try for a sleeping Santa pose with Santa pretending to be asleep while holding the sleeping babe and an opened book that is dropping from his fingers.  The oldest person Santa saw was a 89 year young woman with her great, great grandson (3 years) sitting on her lap.  He also met with a woman being pushed around the mall in a wheelchair by family members.  Santa asked her if she was having fun.  She looked Santa right in the eye and said: “Son, I’m 85 years old.  I have raised 7 kids on my own, buried three husbands, broken my hip and am sitting in this wheelchair……….Hell, No, I’m not having fun!!”  Santa chortled for hours over that one.  He also saw a few twins, one set of triplets, and lots of families (largest one was 18 people).  There were groups/staff from the mall and the Fresno Women’s Chamber of Commerce (21 in all). 

Sure we had our problems, but in the end we had a successful year and the photo boss seems to be pleased.

While Ross was sitting on his duff at the mall Ed was merrily shopping for groceries, taking the dogs for their daily walks, making meals for everyone, and working out at the gym he joined when we got to Fresno. 

The gym was like nothing we’d ever seen before. More than fifty treadmills, about the same number of ellipticals and hundreds of other machines…the purpose of which wasn’t always completely clear!  There were free weights as well of course.

There was a sauna, a steam room, full size swimming pool and hot tub. Oh yes, and the one in NW Fresno is one of four…soon to be five owned by the same company.

Christmas Eve was spent resting, drinking, and nibbling appies from Trader Joe’s.  We had seen one neighbourhood that was lit up beautifully but did not get to see Christmas Tree Lane  the 2 mile long festival of lights where most all houses were incredibly decorated with  lights strung through the giant evergreens  over the street – quite festive.

Christmas Day was a quiet day where Ross got to sleep in.  We started with champagne and OJ, stollen, and coffee……then opened presents that Ed had bought (Ross was somewhat busy doing other things for some reason).  We took the dogs for a walk in Woodward Park and watched the geese and ducks beg for food from anyone passing by.  We had meant to go to Erna’s Elderberry House for Christmas dinner but thought that we could use the $500 elsewhere.  Ed found all the ingredients for a great turkey dinner at …….. you guessed it – Trader Joe’s (stuffed turkey breast, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans au gratin, Brussels sprouts, and our own plum pudding for dessert).

A few days later Ross became just another citizen of this planet Earth when he got his hair and beard trimmed.  The stylist took about 4 inches of hair off the head and about 2/3 of the beard.  And it feels soooo much better – cooler, but better.

We packed up all our belongings on Dec 30 and headed west to Monterey.  Found a RV park (of sorts) on the fairgrounds in Monterey.  This is where all the exhibitors park their rigs during the rodeo/horse and cattle shows/etc. during the summer.  But it has water, power, and sewer. Met with Brett (the big boss) and debriefed about the year then met up with his wife and two boys for dinner.  Great family and the kids are very well behaved.  Good dinner at Cannery Row Brewing Company where Brett ran into a group of friends he had graduated high school with.

Dec 31 (New Year’s Eve) – Met up with Brett and the boys to go to the Monterey Aquarium.  Brett’s two – Andrew and Will – know this place backwards and forwards so we let them act as leaders.  Great time.  Weather has been rainy and cool but the boys wanted to go for ice cream so found their favourite place and ate ice cream while almost freezing our dookuses off!!  Back to the motor home and picked up the dogs and back to Fisherman’s Wharf for a couple of bowls of soup – Ed had clam chowder and Ross had butternut squash – anything to get warm again!!  Hit Trader Joe’s (what are we going to do when we get home?) Home in time to watch the ball drop in Times Square (with a couple of power naps before the witching hour), then in bed for a great sleep.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Jan 1 – We were invited to Brett’s place for brunch and had a great time.  Molly and Brett are wonderful hosts and of course the two boys are great.  Back to the motor home to again pick up the dogs and head on to explore the area.  We saw a bit of Carmel and walked the dogs on the beach for a bit (lots of sand now in the car!) then down the road to Carmel Highlands.  Happened on the Mission there and had a look around because of course everything was closed.  When we got past Big Sur and the weather was getting wetter by the minute we turned around and headed back to Fisherman’s Wharf………..for more chowder!!!  The rains have started again and the place is WET!!!

In fact, while some of our friends in Canada have been having record snowfalls and frigid temps, we here in California have been having lots and LOTS of rain.  The deep depressions (about the size of a large football field) we see around the city (Fresno) are always fenced off with gates locked.  We now know that these “ponds” are like reservoirs – runoff from the streets is fed to these places.  They fill quickly and are slowly absorbed.  Impressive to drive by one of these ponds that is dry one day and filled to the brim the next. 

California  seems to be having a wetter winter than expected however the natives  are jumping for joy….they may not have as many fires this year as in the past.  However, with the rains there also comes flooding and there has been a lot of flooding here.  Floods always block highways, help to destabilize mountain cliffs so they come crashing down on homes and property, and sometimes even carry away homes.  There have been some minor washouts near us but thankfully the earth here is stable….for now!.

A Very Happy Thanksgiving at Erna's Elderberry House

Ross and I enjoyed the most amazing Thanksgiving Dinner this year at Erna’s Elderberry House in Oakhurst California. We had dined there previously and were absolutely blown away by the experience and of course were hoping for a repeat!  We were not disappointed!!

Everything about this meal was a pleasure, from the phone call to make the reservation, the follow-up call, the welcome at the front door to the personalized menu. Even though the three dining rooms were fairly full each member of the staff that we interacted with treated us as though they had waited for our visit all their lives! Nothing perfunctory here!

After we were settled in our places in the colorful and eclectic dining room we were presented with a treat not listed on the menu…Chef Gunnar Thompson’s version of a classic Austrian Liptauer. This tangy cheese sauce was thinner than we’ve experienced but redolent of anchovies and capers. It was the perfect start to the meal along with the slivers of baguette.

The Amuse Bouche was a gloriously presented Smoked Salmon terrine with a trio of garni including caviar and a golden beet tartare. Most exquisite!

The wine pairing was a delightful 2006 Domaine Carneros Brut from Carneros, Napa which was yeasty and nutty and a perfect complement to the Salmon.

Following that was a slice of Pan Roasted Speckled Trout with a colorful and amazingly tasty  ‘hash’ of Bacon, sweet potato and turnip. The trout was crisp on the outside and moist inside with an unforgettable flavor! Again, a lovely presentation.

We were surprised to see that the wine pairing with the trout was a 2007 Emeritus Pinot Noir from the Russian River but the match was made in heaven. The Pinot Noir was light with some fruit and had just the right amount of body to complement to course!

The Lobster Bisque which followed was garnished with roasted pumpkinseed pesto and  possibly the tangiest grilled oyster mushrooms we’ve ever tasted. It was almost as if they had been grilled in lime or lemon juice.  The bisque itself was creamy and tangy and more than one of our neighboring diners was overheard wishing that they could lick their bowl!

A classic Alsatian Gewürztraminer accompanied the Bisque. This Trimbach Cuvee Des Seigneurs de Ribeapierre was very full-bodied for a white wine and had the traditional notes of lychee and apricot. Though it was not as fruit-forward as ‘New World’ Gewürztraminers it was a most pleasant match for the very tangy Bisque.

The main course was next and while everything was tasty it was the only where the presentation was less than stellar. Perhaps it was because of the volume of the food which was overwhelming!  The plate included: succulent slices of roast free-range turkey both dark and white, dressed in a cipollini onion gravy, potato-chive puree, spinach braised with beech mushrooms and an amazing cranberry-clementine sauce. The turkey was as moist and flavorful as any I’ve ever had, though there was an herb in the infusion that we just couldn’t place.

That’s not all!  There was also Pan seared loin of venison with an elderberry-cinnamon jus (Erna raises her own elderberries) , haricots vert and a winter squash bread pudding which seemed somehow bland next to everything else. The venison was seared on the outside and tender and rare on the inside the flavor was exquisite.

This course was paired with Margerum M5 2007  an amazingly full-bodied blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre from the Santa Ynez valley. This breathtaking wine had notes of raspberries, blackberries and licorice which was such a pleasant experience I felt compelled to request a second glass. Our ever so pleasant host realized how fond we were of this selection and presented a third glass without us having to ask!

Following the main course was a lovely presentation of field lettuces, Fuyu Persimmons and toasted hazelnuts in a tangy spiced cider vinaigrette garnished with crisp honey wafers.  This palate-cleanser was very refreshing, the wafers were redolent of the honey the only quibble was the hazelnuts were all but impossible to find!

The wine with the desert course was a Torrontes, Tardio a late harvest version of the popular Argentine white grape from Mendoza, Argentina. Not as fruit-forward as some late harvests but with a full bodied sweetness with notes of Apricot and honey…delightful!

The desserts were all but overwhelming: A tasty bourbon-pumpkin pie garnished with Maple Ice Cream and a Honey Cornmeal pound cake garnished with caramelized pears and a breathtaking Riesling cream.

With the Torrontes and a good dark roast coffee this was the perfect finish to a wonderful dining experience.

In the interest of full disclosure, Erna’s is not for the feint of wallet! Unless you’re heir to a major fortune or a lottery winner it’s the kind of place you’ll want to save for a very special occasion!  The prix fixe menu for Thanksgiving was $105 per person. With 5 paired wines it become $173 plus tax. There are more reasonable priced selections on less special occasions.

Expensive? yes....but we've already made reservations for Christmas!!

Erna’s Elderberry House 48688 Victoria Lane, Oakhurst CA 559-683-6800

www.elderberryhouse.com 

Also posted on www.foodnuts.com 

The First Few Days in Fresno

October 31 – Sunday……….Happy Halloween!!!

The trip to Fresno was uneventful. It was a late start – 11AM - but we don’t have far to go! Filled up on gas and propane before we left Lodi. It’s Sunday so traffic is quite light and we make Fresno in good time – 3PM.

We settle into the park. They were expecting us tomorrow so we are put into the “over flow” area but it still has water, power, and sewer. Took the dogs for a quick walk and to look at the space we will be taking over tomorrow – nice…..really nice (the park manager called it the Cadillac spot). Then as while Ed checks out the WiFi, Ross did the laundry.

Most RV parks really soak you on their washing machines and dryers – charging the earth (up to $2.50 a load) or the machines are so elderly you don’t get clothes clean. Here the machines are elderly but serviceable and it’s only $1 per load – wash and dry!!

Hop in the car and set out to explore Fresno…. not much is changed. The Fashion Fair Mall is still there and still looking for some big stores to fill the vacancy left by Gottschalk’s clothing but most of the businesses are still there and the parking lot (5:30 on a Sunday) is pretty full. It is only 3KM from the RV park to the mall compared to 10KM last year!!

Dinner is at our favourite restaurant – El Pescador. This Mexican seafood restaurant is still going strong and the best part is they remember us!! We walked in and up to the counter, one of the servers saw us and disappeared for a short time, then one of the owners and the chef came around the corner and greeted us like old friends. Anyway, they again told us to find a table and they would get us something to eat. We picked up a couple of draft Modelo beer and sat down. The dinner that was served was amazing – seasoned grilled fish covered with thin sliced tomatoes and onions, rice, and salad. VERY good and we will be back!!!

Back home and put Ed in the lazy chair with a heating pad and some pain killers. Somehow when we were unhooking the car this afternoon he pulled a muscle in his back and it keeps twinging all at the wrong times!!! He will be better tomorrow!!!!

November 1- 3 Monday through Wednesday

We get the word that we can move to our new spot. We get settled and take off for a bit more adventure. The WiFi at the park is a little ‘iffy’ but we can still get email although it may take a couple of years to download. Apparently they have been having a few complaints about the reception and are trying to correct it.

Have contacted Santa Jake and he will meet us at the mall on Thursday. Photo company will be here on the Tuesday to set up and we might be able to go out for dinner with Brett (the boss) as it’s his birthday in a few days. On Tuesday we learned that the mall was not ready for us so we will have to wait to have a meeting of the minds on Wednesday. This means that Brett will not be staying over in Fresno so we will have to take him out for dinner some other time.

Ross went back to his hair stylist on the 3^rd for another bleaching. He always has fun at the Beehive……well the bleaching isn’t so much fun, but talking to Mike is definitely a great time. Mike and his partner, Bill, have invited us over to their place sometime soon…………..HEY, we’re making friends!!!!

The mall meeting went as expected with the exception we met the brand new general manager. He seems to have been around the ‘mall’ business for a few years and is willing to think “outside the box” re problems. The marketing manager is the same from last year. The ‘hovel’, ‘cave’, change room is also the same – a large storage ‘room’ housing blueprints of the mall and having no water, sewer, or electricity.

We have asked that the room be ready for me ASAP. It only needs a large piece of carpeting, a space heater, an additional table, a couple of chairs, general cleaning (as this place is rarely used and houses only old blueprints, you can only imagine what the air quality is like, plus dirt, melge, and ++dust), a clothes rack, a coffee table, and assorted other things. We also got dates for “Wake Up Santa” and other possible media opportunities. Looks like we have a season people!!!

Set looks great….. a few less trees but that may change in the next couple of days. Photo stuff is in and ready to go. Supplies are all laid in. We even have a couple of boxes extra of candy canes!!!! Ed got his orientation re working on the set and running the cash register. Set manager and Ross have had a couple of tête-à-têtes.

November 4 – Thursday

Today was supposed to be fairly relaxed so Ross can conserve some energy. Unfortunately the room is not ready for us, the mall admin has been concentrating on getting the set ready. Ross throws a hissy fit and finally (at 6PM) the room is ready. Although we have to say that all requirements that we wanted are in place and the room is clean. We move outfits, etc into the place and think we are ready to rumble. By the way, have we told you that Ed has been invited to work on set part time?? Probably will be brought onto the set in the later part of the season when everyone is needed for crowd control.

The dogs have been less than enthused that we have been taking off every day without them, but now the season has started they should be getting their three or four daily walks. Mojo is looking forward to seeing “his” squirrel again and Teddy looks forward to any outing. We have also asked about someone in the park that would be able to take them out for a quick piddle when both of us are working – there seems to be a couple of people available.

WiFi problems seem to have corrected themselves – we took the computer out on the patio and we got screaming hot connectivity – go figure.

Ed signed up at a local gym just around the corner. This company has 4 gyms in Fresno!! The place is massive. Row upon row of workout equipment. Ross counted at least 8 rows (about 20 machines in each row) of treadmills, 5 rows of elliptical trainers, 3 rows of bicycles, and recumbent bikes……..plus a huge area of free weights, some other weight equipment, a “Junior” Olympic pool (with sauna, steam room, and whirlpool), open rooms for aerobics etc, showers, etc etc. The place is incredible. Ed will try and get a picture.

So tomorrow (Nov 5) we open the season………wish us luck!!!!!

Nov 7 – Sunday

Opening day on the 5^th (Friday) was a hoot. It was a ‘soft’ opening so all kinks can be worked out, signals between Santa and the crew can be finalized, get all the electronics working the way they are supposed to, and “test the waters”. Well, we not only got off to a great start, I think we surprised everyone – one of the best openings ever!! Lots of people in the mall, and they are buying. Hopefully this is not a fluke and bodes well for the season.

Fresno is an interesting study in demographics – some retired/elderly, lots of young couples and the resulting babies, and a requisite number of teenagers. The folks we are seeing at the moment are middle to upper class, mind you the mall is slanted to the higher end of merchandise so that may skew the demographics a bit.

Saturday (the real opening) we saw much the same as Friday. And we went WAY over our goal!!! Lots and lots of good kids, some with some very interesting requests – “one of your reindeer”, “a unicorn”, “my mother who died a couple of months ago”, “full recovery from breast cancer for our friend”, “a puppy”, “peace and love for my whole family……and get my family back together again”, etc.

Sunday (the short day – only 6 hours but also only one break) was great. We may not have broken any records re goals but we still had lots of laughs. Like the young teen girl sneaking around the corner to catch a glimpse of Santa without him seeing….then being totally surprised that Santa had chosen that moment to stretch his legs and grab a sip or two of water. She was so surprised that Santa was actually “waiting” for her, she stopped, looked at Santa, and screamed!!! We had a couple of children that walked away from their parents and appeared on set – so had to have security take care of them until the terrified parents could be found.

For those of you not familiar with what happens on a Santa set – here is Ross’ day in a nutshell:

10AM – arrive at the change room (more about the change room later) and get ready and into Santa outfit

11AM – make entrance (ensuring that the new bell strap that Buck and Bruce gave Ross for his birthday is not too loud)

11 – 1 – greet children, listen to their wishes, answer questions, ask questions, sit for photos, STAY IN CHARACTER AT ALL TIMES, make sure crew is happy and working well.

1 – 1:45 – lunch with Ed back at the cave (change room)

1:45 – 4:30 – more sitting for photos, asking and answering questions, etc

4:30 – 5:15 – coffee with Ed and sometimes the dogs

5:15 – 8:00 – more of the same

8PM – Ed picks Ross up at the change room and home; have a drink, then dinner, a bit of email, bed

So while Ross is doing “his thing” what is Ed doing?? Good question. He has most mornings at the gym (and ogling the good looking people), then answering his emails, making lunch and dinner for Ross and himself, laundry, taking the dogs for walkies,……..OH, and today he went to a winery (Quady) for a tasting and to pick up some Elysium…black Muscat dessert wine…yumm!!!! AND to buy a ticket for the Madera Wine Trail Celebration next week. Includes special events at about nine Madera wineries. Quady is having a vertical tasting of about a dozen of their ports along with local artisan cheeses and cigars! Another of the wineries is doing much the same but actually rolling the cigars on site. A full report in the next edition!!

Oregon into California!!

October 27 – Wed

For those of you who keep track of such things, I (Ross) goofed (And eagle-eyed Editor Ed missed it). I mis-labeled yesterdays date as Oct 25….OOOPS!!

We had a great night at a great RV park in Lincoln City and would definitely like to return there for a couple of days sometime. But all good things must come to an end and we pulled up stakes this morning (warm, dry, very light cloud covering) and headed south along the amazing Oregon Coast (#101). Every curve brought another incredible vista – crashing waves, jagged rocky outcroppings, and even some sea lions (more of that later). We started getting a few sprinkles but then it tapered off again. Made Coos Bay in good time, set up camp in another very nice RV park and headed out to explore.

Coos Bay, North Bend, and Bandon are all blended together. Mainly fishing and tourism with some logging thrown in. We took off to Charleston (on the other side of the bay) and drove along the coast. There are plenty of pull-offs to sit and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean. We stopped at a few including a fairly large pull off where there were a couple of cars. When we opened the car doors there was this ungodly noise…….sea lions. Looking over the railings down to the coast and the surf we could see several dozen sea lions lounging on the rocks or in the water. Every once in awhile one big bull would start hollering and the others would join in. This on top of the general cacophony was quite incredible.

On around the rest of the peninsula and through downtown Coos Bay (or is it downtown North Bend) and home. We did find some scallops and shrimp in Charleston, so you know what we had for dinner!!

Ross got the laundry done while Ed caught up with his emails, office calls, and of course cooking dinner.

Dogs have been taken for a walk or two or three, we are full, laundry is done and garbage is gone…….now to enjoy a night of watching TV, reading, and writing this blog!!

We hope all is OK with everyone. More fun times tomorrow!!

October 28 – Thursday

Up and away by about 9:30 and on our way to Canyonville OR. We travel along # 42 highway that meanders along Middle Fork Coquille River. There are some hills but the road is fine (albeit a little wet – yes, we have light rain). And in good time we make Canyonville – or to be precise The Seven Feathers Casino and RV Resort. We have stayed here many times and are impressed each time we visit.

We are not really casino people but a little gambling never hurt anyone – especially when it’s penny slots!! And the big draw is the seafood buffet on Thursdays. We get settled into the RV park, walk the dogs, and head over to the hot tub/pool. Very nice way to relax after a days driving. Then call for the free shuttle to take us over to the casino. We play a few slots – eventually lose the dollar that we each started with and head over to the buffet. It’s hard to explain how big this place is but there is one cooler table dedicated to Alaskan King crab legs. Then of course there are the many ways of serving shrimp – peel your own, fried, in sauce, in jambalaya, and King and Snow crab legs (warm and cold)……..and I guess there was other stuff too (in fact I know there was roast beef, ham, chicken, veggies, salads galore, soups, Chinese, Indian, and plenty of desserts).

We ate like little piggies and waddled back for more. As we were at the desert island one of the servers looked at Ed’s “I Believe in Santa” polo shirt and chuckled. She said she liked the shirt and thought that he would have to be good all year round. Ed leaned closer and whispered that he had to be good as he worked for Santa. I gave her a couple of cards and throughout the rest of our dinner, whenever I looked up, she was staring at the card, then at me, then at the card and smiling. I made someone’s day!!!

Out on the casino floor again for a bit then home for a quick sleep. Weather has started to clear and they are calling for clear skies with a large burning orb in the sky!!

October 29 – Friday

We got a later start thing morning but were away for Canyonville by 11:00AM. We are travelling on I-5 freeway and making good time. The only concern is what the Siskiyou Pass holds. This pass can be very unpredictable and we always try to traverse it around mid day. Today the pass is great, no snow/rain/slides and the Prince Reindeer goes up and down those hills like a mountain goat. Amazingly enough as we cross into California the rain stops and the sun comes out....Thanks Arnie!

We make our next stop by 3:45, park, and get settled in the truckers area of the Rolling Hills Casino and RV park in Corning, CA. The RV park charges $25 per night with no WiFi, no TV service, and only 30amp power. So we save the money, park in the free truckers spot (dry camp – no facilities—and away from the reefers!!) and spend the money we saved at the casino!

Corning is the self-proclaimed olive capital of the world and the Olive Pit is an amazing store. Imagine a small grocery store, run by a family and a few employees, that is stocked with olives and every olive product you can think of in every shape, size, quantity, and configuration. Stuffed with pimentos, almonds, mushrooms, garlic, other olives (I kid you not), etc. And sizes from a small jar (8oz) to the gallon jars! Needless to say we had a great time as always there. Have to stock up on our martini olives for the desert. Hope the other guys coming to Quartzsite remember to stop and pick some more up!!!!

Again we played a few slots and headed over to eat dinner………..surprise, surprise, Fridays is their seafood buffet!! (Talk about planning!) And again we scarf platefuls of shrimp, snow crab, crab cakes, fried oysters, clams, calamari, etc. What a feast!!

We waddle out of the restaurant and back to the slot machines. Then home again, home again, jiggedy jig!! Take the dogs for their second walk since we got there and settle in for a long night’s rest. Unfortunately, we had trucks coming in to the parking lot and past us all night, then leaving VERY early in the morning – not much sleep!!

October 30

Getting close to our destination!! Today’s travel is all along I – 5 freeway and as it is Saturday the traffic is relatively light. We make Lodi in good time and settle into our RV park. The park has about 180 spaces and is the cleanest we have ever seen (except perhaps for Canyonville). We detach the car and go exploring as there are over 80 wineries in the area. We particularly want to see Berghold and Woodbridge.

Berghold is a family estate winery. The main house is massive (reminds me of some European castles). The last time we were there they had an amazing display of Santas. Each Santa has been handmade by Mrs. Berghold and she is an amazing seamstress. Wanted to get a couple more photos of some of the outfits. But they still have their Thanksgiving/Halloween display out and won’t be putting the Christmas display out for at least another week or two.

Talked to one of the family and learned a bit more of the history. There was a very interesting contraption in the main room. This huge cabinet was opened to reveal many different instruments attached to a main computer. Each instrument had wires connecting the frets, keys, strings, etc to the computer. As a piece or genre of music was selected on the computer the wires would start plucking or striking or playing these instruments. There was an accordion, three or four guitars, steel drum, pipe organ, a couple of reed instruments, and some percussion. ( photos and a video clip on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/texased/ )What a find!!! And their wine was pretty good too!!!

Then off to Woodbridge. This Robert Mondavi winery is cute. The people were very well versed in their knowledge of the wines and had a great sense of humour. One of the tasters was wearing a halo and the other had a pair of devil’s horns. We kept telling them that good girls get sweaters and bad girls get Cadillacs so of course they tried to switch!! Anyway, lots of laughs as they introduced us around to all the visitors, gave us some extra wine tastings for free, and we walked out of there with a few bottles of wine!!!!

Back to the motor home, walked the dogs again, had dinner, and watched a little TV. Big day tomorrow as we head off to Fresno and get settled for a longish time.

Blog Oct 27

Oct 27 – Wed

For those of you who keep track of such things, I (Ross) goofed (And eagle-eyed Editor Ed missed it). I mis-labeled yesterdays date as Oct 25….OOOPS!!

We had a great night at a great RV park in Lincoln City and would definitely like to return there for a couple of days sometime. But all good things must come to an end and we pulled up stakes this morning (warm, dry, very light cloud covering) and headed south along the amazing Oregon Coast (#101). Every curve brought another incredible vista – crashing waves, jagged rocky outcroppings, and even some sea lions (more of that later). We started getting a few sprinkles but then it tapered off again. Made Coos Bay in good time, set up camp in another very nice RV park and headed out to explore.

Coos Bay, North Bend, and Bandon are all blended together. Mainly fishing and tourism with some logging thrown in. We took off to Charleston (on the other side of the bay) and drove along the coast. There are plenty of pull-offs to sit and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean. We stopped at a few including a fairly large pull off where there were a couple of cars. When we opened the car doors there was this ungodly noise…….sea lions. Looking over the railings down to the coast and the surf we could see several dozen sea lions lounging on the rocks or in the water. Every once in awhile one big bull would start hollering and the others would join in. This on top of the general cacophony was quite incredible.

On around the rest of the peninsula and through downtown Coos Bay (or is it downtown North Bend) and home. We did find some scallops and shrimp in Charleston, so you know what we had for dinner!!

Ross got the laundry done while Ed caught up with his emails, office calls, and of course cooking dinner.

Dogs have been taken for a walk or two or three, we are full, laundry is done and garbage is gone…….now to enjoy a night of watching TV, reading, and writing this blog!!

We hope all is OK with everyone. More fun times tomorrow!!

Oct 28 – Thursday

Up and away by about 9:30 and on our way to Canyonville OR. We travel along # 42 highway that meanders along Middle Fork Coquille River. There are some hills but the road is fine (albeit a little wet – yes, we have light rain). And in good time we make Canyonville – or to be precise The Seven Feathers Casino and RV Resort. We have stayed here many times and are impressed each time we visit.

We are not really casino people but a little gambling never hurt anyone – especially when it’s penny slots!! And the big draw is the seafood buffet on Thursdays. We get settled into the RV park, walk the dogs, and head over to the hot tub/pool. Very nice way to relax after a days driving. Then call for the free shuttle to take us over to the casino. We play a few slots – eventually lose the dollar that we each started with and head over to the buffet. It’s hard to explain how big this place is but there is one cooler table dedicated to Alaskan King crab legs. Then of course there are the many ways of serving shrimp – peel your own, fried, in sauce, in jambalaya, and King and Snow crab legs (warm and cold)……..and I guess there was other stuff too (in fact I know there was roast beef, ham, chicken, veggies, salads galore, soups, Chinese, Indian, and plenty of desserts).

We ate like little piggies and waddled back for more. As we were at the desert island one of the servers looked at Ed’s “I Believe in Santa” polo shirt and chuckled. She said she liked the shirt and thought that he would have to be good all year round. Ed leaned closer and whispered that he had to be good as he worked for Santa. I gave her a couple of cards and throughout the rest of our dinner, whenever I looked up, she was staring at the card, then at me, then at the card and smiling. I made someone’s day!!!

Out on the casino floor again for a bit then home for a quick sleep. Weather has started to clear and they are calling for clear skies with a large burning orb in the sky!!

Oct 29 – Friday

We got a later start thing morning but were away for Canyonville by 11:00AM. We are travelling on I-5 freeway and making good time. The only concern is what the Siskiyou Pass holds. This pass can be very unpredictable and we always try to traverse it around mid day. Today the pass is great, no snow/rain/slides and the Prince Reindeer goes up and down those hills like a mountain goat. Amazingly enough as we cross into California the rain stops and the sun comes out....Thanks Arnie!

We make our next stop by 3:45, park, and get settled in the truckers area of the Rolling Hills Casino and RV park in Corning, CA. The RV park charges $25 per night with no WiFi, no TV service, and only 30amp power. So we save the money, park in the free truckers spot (dry camp – no facilities—and away from the reefers!!) and spend the money we saved at the casino!

Corning is the self-proclaimed olive capital of the world and the Olive Pit is an amazing store. Imagine a small grocery store, run by a family and a few employees, that is stocked with olives and every olive product you can think of in every shape, size, quantity, and configuration. Stuffed with pimentos, almonds, mushrooms, garlic, other olives (I kid you not), etc. And sizes from a small jar (8oz) to the gallon jars! Needless to say we had a great time as always there. Have to stock up on our martini olives for the desert. Hope the other guys coming to Quartzsite remember to stop and pick some more up!!!!

Again we played a few slots and headed over to eat dinner………..surprise, surprise, Fridays is their seafood buffet!! (Talk about planning!) And again we scarf platefuls of shrimp, snow crab, crab cakes, fried oysters, clams, calamari, etc. What a feast!!

We waddle out of the restaurant and back to the slot machines. Then home again, home again, jiggedy jig!! Take the dogs for their second walk since we got there and settle in for a long night’s rest. Unfortunately, we had trucks coming in to the parking lot and past us all night, then leaving VERY early in the morning – not much sleep!!

Oct 30

Getting close to our destination!! Today’s travel is all along I – 5 freeway and as it is Saturday the traffic is relatively light. We make Lodi in good time and settle into our RV park. The park has about 180 spaces and is the cleanest we have ever seen (except perhaps for Canyonville). We detach the car and go exploring as there are over 80 wineries in the area. We particularly want to see Berghold and Woodbridge.

Berghold is a family estate winery. The main house is massive (reminds me of some European castles). The last time we were there they had an amazing display of Santas. Each Santa has been handmade by Mrs. Berghold and she is an amazing seamstress. Wanted to get a couple more photos of some of the outfits. But they still have their Thanksgiving/Halloween display out and won’t be putting the Christmas display out for at least another week or two.

Talked to one of the family and learned a bit more of the history. There was a very interesting contraption in the main room. This huge cabinet was opened to reveal many different instruments attached to a main computer. Each instrument had wires connecting the frets, keys, strings, etc to the computer. As a piece or genre of music was selected on the computer the wires would start plucking or striking or playing these instruments. There was an accordion, three or four guitars, steel drum, pipe organ, a couple of reed instruments, and some percussion. ( photos and a video clip on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/texased/ )What a find!!! And their wine was pretty good too!!!

Then off to Woodbridge. This Robert Mondavi winery is cute. The people were very well versed in their knowledge of the wines and had a great sense of humour. One of the tasters was wearing a halo and the other had a pair of devil’s horns. We kept telling them that good girls get sweaters and bad girls get Cadillacs so of course they tried to switch!! Anyway, lots of laughs as they introduced us around to all the visitors, gave us some extra wine tastings for free, and we walked out of there with a few bottles of wine!!!!

Back to the motor home, walked the dogs again, had dinner, and watched a little TV. Big day tomorrow as we head off to Fresno and get settled for a longish time.

The First Week on the Road 2010

October 21 – Thursday

We headed out from Westbank fully loaded and with car in tow (complete with our new Brake Buddy). We had an easy drive down to the Lower Mainland and rain. Finally found the RV park (right next to the waterslides at the ferry terminals) – not the best place in the world but they do have somewhat dry land (most of the adjoining fields are a little sodden) and power/sewer hookups.

Connected with Carolyn and met them at their place for a bit. Emily is growing like a weed! She is a little shy about us at first but then warmed up quickly. Alex had a night school class (ESL) so the three plus baby were off for a feed of sushi. Don’t know why we don’t have more sushi at home………OH Wait…..it’s expensive!!

The dogs are a little more relaxed than they were at home……I think it’s because they know they are coming with us for the rest of the trip and are not being left at home.

October 22 – Friday

Lazy morning – coffee, first stollen of the year, listening to CBC and reading. Over to Carolyn and Alex’s place about noon and picked up Emily for an afternoon of fun………but it’s still drizzling! We thought about taking her to a mall to do some shopping but then realized we would be leaving the dogs alone for up to 9 hours. Spent some quality time with the dogs and Emily and then back to her place. Dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory (in Richmond) – what a hoot. We got there about 5PM and the place was almost empty. Talking to the hostess we found out that they had had a group of 160 people for the late afternoon and they were expecting another full house for dinner. Very glad we made reservations for 5PM because by 5:30 the place was absolutely full and the line up was out the door!

Oct 23 – Saturday

Back to Emily’s place by 9:30 and then off for dim sum (we need a good dim sum place in the Okanagan) and a massive feed. Must remember to feed Ed before he grabs the order sheet and orders WAAYYY too much food!! Then to Value Village for some shoes for Emily and a quick look around. This is the best weekend for people to shop for Halloween outfits and the place was packed!! We found a few things and then off to The Gourmet Warehouse. If you like to cook you HAVE to go to the Gourmet Warehouse sometime in the future!

They have every kind of culinary gee-gaw you can imagine, tools, spices, oils and an Aga stove! Check out the website…. http://www.gourmetwarehouse.ca/

Meanwhile back at the ranch Santa put in an appearance for some early Santa photos, then back to our abode for a quick lie down and cuddle with the dogs.

We gussied up and went off to see “The Fantasticks”at the Playhouse. The run was totally sold out by the time it opened and has now been held over. That’s a success!!! Maybe one of our Many Hats productions will do the same soon. Anyway, the show was great….mind you what did we expect with major actors on stage – Jeff Hyslop as the mute, Christopher Gaze as the old actor Henry, and the ever good looking Steve Maddock as El Gallo. Man, he can sing up a storm, great actor too, and very, VERY easy on the eyes!! Also ran into three people we knew from Theatre Under the Stars – Lionel and Carol Jinks, and Sam Peerless. Great to catch up on them even if for only a few minutes.

October 24 – Sunday

Up early and over to Watermania to catch Emily at her second swim lesson. This place is immense – huge swimming pool, another pool that is a wave pool and used for water polo (not at the same time mind you), a huge kiddies pool, a smaller kiddies pool, two hot tubs, viewing areas, three slides, plus meeting rooms and weight/workout room. Decent prices too ($365/yr for seniors). Today we learned to put our faces in the water and also how to kick our legs. Great fun and lots of pics!

Back to the seafood restaurant for Dim Sum (didn’t order quite a much this time!) then down to Gourmet Warehouse. Carolyn has been wanting a yogurt maker and when we were in yesterday they were out of stock so she left her name and number. One turned up almost immediately ...a good excuse for more dim sum and a trip to Gourmet Warehouse!!

Also picked up a few Christmas presents as Santa has trouble shopping when he is at the mall working. Then discovered a Columbian coffee shop next door to Gourmet Warehouse so picked up some coffee beans and on home to Richmond.

Emily was supposed to be asleep but she was not interested in napping – too bad as we all wanted to have a nap too!! Quick cup of coffee and back home to play with the pups. Going for burgers tonight but if I am still stuffed like I am now, I may only have a salad!!

Well the burgers were too good to pass up, but only one. One last visit with Carolyn, Alex, and Emily then back to the motor home….and it’s raining.

October 25 – Monday

We say goodbye to the RV park……..and good riddance. Not a great place, but close to the kids. Over the border in pretty good time and on our way to Centralia. Weather is not great – raining, but we are making good time. Got into Centralia, filled Prince Reindeer with gas and then came back (after setting up camp) to do some serious grocery shopping.

October 25 (2 months to Christmas) - Tuesday

The rain pounded down all night sometimes sounding like we were under a fire hose. Daybreak and the rain continues in buckets. Some of the places in WA are breaking records – over 5” in 48 hours in Tillamook.

Everyone (including the pups) were pretty soggy by the time we got loaded up but it didn’t slow us down much.

We took US30 to Astoria, then 101 down the Oregon coast. Raining all the way, sometimes in torrential downpours. Incredible scenery but it would be very much better if we had some sun. Pounding surf, high winds, incredible waves, and sometimes breath taking.

We had a lunch stop at a gorgeous spot with dazzling views of crashing surf…and amazingly no rain for a few minutes anyway!

Made Lincoln City (raining still, again with some huge gusts and downpours) and settled into a very nice RV park. Had a chance to look around the town – quite a vacation spot - ++ accommodations, ++ eating places, ++ souvenir/kitsch shops – all catering to tourists but not this time of year!!! Town is long and skinny, hugging the coastline but looks quite affluent. We have gone through a few towns that are automatically on our “never move there” list but maybe not this one!!

Finally the rain is tapering off and we can only hope that everything dries out sometime this century.

Christmas letter 2010

WHAT?? No! It can’t be!! It’s too early!!!

Anyway, in case we forget to say it..............Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year for 2011!!

This year has been a whirlwind!! Those of you who have followed our adventures through our blog http://santaandthewrangler.blogspot.com/ know that we spent last November/December in Fresno California.

Ross was Santa at Fashion Fair Mall and Ed looked after the puppies, took calls and emails from his clients and CRA, visited the local gym, and spent a lot of time driving between here there and everywhere. Suffice it to say, Mall Management must have liked Ross as he is going back to the same mall this year. We have found a RV park much closer to the mall for this year so time and money will be saved (we hope).

On December 23 our friend Marg McLellan arrived at our motor home and stayed with us until December 27. The Christmas dinner we had at Erna’s Elderberry House http://www.elderberryhouse.com/eehMenu.html was outstanding – one of the best (if not the very best) meals we have ever had...........we are planning our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners there this year!!!

On December 28 we took off for Quartzsite Arizona to meet up with a couple of Ross’ Santa buddies. We had only planned to stay a week or so as we didn’t know if we would like the dry camping (camping in the motor home with no facilities to hook up – water, sewer, power) but with a lot of help from Santa Bruce and Santa Buck we discovered dry camping can actually be fun. So much so that we stayed in Quartzsite for about 5½ weeks then moved off with the other Santas to Yuma and onto Holtville CA. Other Santa friends joined us at various time throughout our stay. Those were fun times that we are hoping to repeat again this year. There is something about sitting around a campfire under the starlit sky with 7 Santas – eerie, yet absolutely magical.

We then slowly made our way home through Joshua Tree and Death Valley with stops at every place that had hot springs!!

We got home just in time for tax time to hit with a vengeance. Ed’s business has taken off in leaps and bounds. He has several clients that keep referring him to their friends and neighbours so that kept him (with Ross’ help) very busy for most of the year!! Be careful what you wish for!!

At the same time Ross went into rehearsal for an English murder mystery. It’s the first time in many years he has been on that side of the footlights and loved every minute of it. Ed on the other hand is becoming well known for his publicity management and he is the PR person for two theatre companies at the moment – as if he needed anymore work!!

In mid-April we welcomed Carolyn (Ed’s daughter), her husband Alex, and their little one Emily to Canada. We took the motor home down to Burnaby and parked it so they had a place to stay while looking for a job and an apartment/town home.

Carolyn now is working for a high-tech firm and they have found an apartment about 2 blocks away. Emily is in a Montessori – style preschool/daycare and Alex is picking up work (construction) where he can find it. They come up to see us whenever they have the chance and Emily is growing like a weed, has four teeth and is walking better each day but still not able to say “Grandpa Ed.” We were thrilled to host her first birthday party on July 30.

As summer started we were again busy at the Westbank Yacht Club – cooking dinners for up to 150 and socializing with the members. There is a group of us who cook up a feast two or three times a year and we all have way too much fun!!

Starting in July we began rehearsals for “Sylvia” – Ed directing and Ross producing. We opened Sept 9 to rave reviews and will be taking the show to Castlegar for a one night ‘gig’.

On September 19 Ross turned 60 and that seemed like a great excuse for a party which we had on September 18. Weather was dreary but 81 people showed up – we had a band, 2 other Santas, and 4 nuns – and everyone had a good time.

As the end of October is just around the corner we thought we should get this letter off to our friends and family before we head out. We leave for California October 21 and Ross starts his Santa thing November 5.

We will again be writing about our adventures on our blog – http://santaandthewrangler.blogspot.com/ – so to find out what we’re up to feel free to follow along!

In the meantime we want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry (if early) Christmas and all the best for 2011. We will be thinking about you all over the holidays and hope that you’re thinking of us!!