Yesterday we arrived in Pacifica at Norman's at noon. We were able to get on Highway 1, the coastal highway, at Castroville and travel up to Pacifica.  Highway 1 has had a lot of mudslides along it so we weren't sure if it would be open.  They have had so much rain here in the last couple months.  Maybe you saw on tv about the apartment building that literally fell into the ocean from the mudslides here. We saw where that building once stood today and the house next to it that has been red flagged, meaning it's been condemned and no one can live there.  There is another house that the owners have put up on blocks.  It has a sign reading that if you know of a lot that is for sale they would like to buy it so that they can move their house to it IMMEDIATELY.  The drive up here was so pretty and such a perfect day.  We stopped twice along the way and got pictures.  One of our stops was at Pidgeon Point where they have an old lighthouse displayed.  Our other stop was at a place where there were people in their wet suits digging up stuff out of the sand.  We walked down to them and asked them what they were doing.  A couple of the guys showed us this glass, they called it sea glass.  There used to be a glass factory up the road and they threw out scraps of glass, it floated down out of the hills and went to the ocean.  I guess it's valuable.  One gentlemen gave us a piece.

This morning we walked out on the beach to watch the waves and ocean for a bit before we headed out to the Napa Valley.  We also walked out on the pier and had fun watching the fishermen fishing for crabs.  They were mostly Asian men but there were a few of us round eyes out there as Norman calls us.  Norman bought David a little bait trap that they use to fish for them.  They have a little cage on them that they stuff with chicken and then on the outside of that cage are plastic wires in loop knots that tighten around the crab's legs. The whole activity reminded me of a Husker tail gate party.  They had their little grills out there cooking some kind of meat. We were offered some Phillipino bread.  Such friendly people.

In the afternoon we took off for the wine country.  Although you wouldn't think it, agriculture is huge out here in California.  I really hope we can find some stand that sells oranges tomorrow as I'd like to bring some home. We went on a wine tour at Stags' Leap Winery.  A huge old home sits on the property and it's got so much history.  It was built in 1892 and went through prohibition and the depression...housing a speakeasy and a place to gamble, assessable from a hidden door in the floor.  I loved the history at this winery and it wasn't so commercialized as the Modavy Winery we visited when out here years ago.

Norman and Carol are such a sweet couple. We will miss our farming relationship but we will always be dear friends.  We will travel away from here tomorrow and head for home.  We are hearing the call.  Dad is sick with Influenza A and Mom will likely get it too.  They are on Tamiflu so hope they are feeling better by the time we get there.  They did get their flu shots but that hasn't been working for people very well this year. (Seems that is always the case.)  We will probably stop at Kendra's tomorrow night and stay with her but need to call her tomorrow and see if that is alright.

Happy Birthday Neha!!  One can forget what day it is when traveling and goofing off.

Love you all.