Up early (pdf of At a Photo Shop: II [page 7], composing Double Piano Concerto: II [23] and The Decameron - Third Day: Novel VI [9]),
email to Crystal and company,
two large papers read,
and off on 80
towards the Sacramento and the Sierra,
then south on
99, high fog invading at Merced, topping off the petrol before Bakersfield in a temporary celestial clearing,
east
on
58,
again
cloudbound,
to the Caliente turnoff,
downhill
to
the
Post
Office,
the
long/beautiful
progression through the
Canyon,
stratus
at
last
clearing
for
good
through
the narrow cleft,
cows on the
road,
past
Loraine,
the
Valley
opening
up
impressively
at
Twin
Oaks,
right
on
Back,
more
miles
of
beauty,
to
the
extensive
and
beautiful
grounds
of
Flying
Bears
Ranch,
arriving early,
taking
two
short
hikes
and
re-reading
The
Hobbit,
until Carol arrives.
Some quick logistics,
and we are off to
Critter Creek,
joining Michelle and Steve and Gail for a Thanksgiving feast.
Afterwards,
head
down
to
the
stables
to
enable
the
cats /
dogs /
horses
to
share
in
their
version of the bounty, as the sun sets down among ridges and valleys.
Returning to the homestead for coffee,
hat
gifting,
additional
beautiful
views,
dessert, and
conviviality -- we eventually retire back to FB for more merriment and late night reading of Norman Lebrecht's The Book of Musical Anecdotes -- reading the first 90 pages from Machaut through Beethoven.
