Wherein the Almond Orchards Blossom and Spring Keeps on Springing
Currently sitting on the back patio soaking in a few UV rays. It is a balmy sunshiny day. One of those days wherein it’s oh-so-warm in the sunshine and cool enough for a cardigan in the shade. We’ve had quite a bit more rain here, and I am so glad for that means the world will stay green for a while longer. When we arrived here in the hot, dry summer we were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this place, but springtime is bringing a whole new dimension to that beauty and I am not quite ready to let go of it. And who knows? This lovely green world may last until April or even May. I have no idea. We shall see. What I do know, is that the almond orchards are bathed in pure white/pink splendor and this shall not last but a minute. But oh! It is so lovely. I feel as though I could be Anne of Green Gables wandering down the White Way of Delight completely enamored by the blossoming trees. Down every row of some orchards there is a carpet of perfectly green grass and as the spent blooms fall the entire orchard floor turns white. It looks as though winter paid us a visit in the night and sent a carpet of snow intended only for the almond orchards. (An almond blossom looks much like a cherry blossom.) The cherry trees are giving the almond trees their moment and when they are done the cherry orchards shall unveil their splendor as well. I have been seeing a few cherry blossoms already. It is totally a thing to come to California to see the magical almond blossoms. And it would be worth it. The orchards hug the hills as they roll away to the mountains beyond and green hills with a blanket of flowering white trees is something to see.
One Sunday this month we had three Glenn couples here for Sunday service. Taylor and Lana, Alex and Bethany, and Darren and Karalee. Full house. We drove to the top of Mt. Diablo after lunch and found it to be 40° and windy up there. Clear and beautiful as ever, but too cold to hang around for long. Another weekend Alex and Bethany (Loewen) invited us to Glenn and Princeton’s school benefit supper. It proved to be totally worth our time. Not only were there loads of lovely people, but the food was delectable. There were numerous different food booths. A Greek booth, a Thai booth, a fried chicken booth, a French pastry booth, an old-fashioned candy booth, and of course a coffee shop as well. Elliot was completely thrilled with the candy booth. They had brown paper bags with a list of the candy on the bag and you had to put a checkmark by each kind of candy you desired. Hand your bag to one of the darling little girls behind the booth, and they fill your bag for you. So fun. We spent the night at Alex’s and when Saturday dawned a beautiful spring day, we decided to go to the Oroville Dam. So we all piled into Silvia and set out. We walked across the dam, about two miles, and found lunch at a burger joint. Fun day. We decided to head back to Oakley Saturday afternoon but couldn’t quite resist the urge to stop for coffee at Shawn and Eddie’s. So, after Eddie and I had rapped out over cake and coffee, Elliot and Ezra had had their ranger ride, and Brent had seen Karson’s new truck and pickup, it was supper time. Well, Shawn was quite sure indeed that we needed to go out for supper together, so we did. And I was so glad because that may just be the last time we get to be with Karson before he ties the knot. We may have also got ice cream after supper. (We did end up getting home late Saturday night.)
One day we set out for San Francisco with a backpack bulging with tract boxes. We decided to brave the city on foot. It turned out to be a great day. We walked our legs off, the double stroller’s wheels lost a little more rubber, and we were so winded most of the time we could scarcely speak. (Winded from the steep streets and also from laughing at ourselves struggling to reach the top of each street.) But a great day, because we walked right through Little Italy. We stopped for lunch at a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place. Once we caught our breath, we savored our authentic pasta dishes on little wire bistro tables that were crammed onto the busy sidewalk, right by the cars whizzing past on the road. Behind a window, you could watch them making the pasta fresh right there. I nearly swooned at the pastry and cappuccino shops. A total delight to just window gaze, but at some point in the afternoon after climbing yet another street that was so steep there were stairs instead of sidewalk, we decided we were in need of a little sustenance in the form of a strong foamy cappuccino and flaky pastry. We were a little discouraged by the response we received in the city. Most people were very friendly indeed but did not care for a box of tracts sitting on their counter or on their windowsill. Brent thinks maybe we would have better luck with handing out tracts instead of doing boxes. I do not believe I have ever been to a city that had streets as steep as San Francisco does. It is not for the faint of heart to brave that city on foot with two toddlers and a backpack full of tracts. But oh how I love that city and I have been learning that California people either love it or hate it. I haven’t found a reason to dislike it yet, but pushing a double stroller up those steep streets did make me question my love for the place for a small moment in time.
Folks-in-law flew into Monterey on Wednesday to attend Bennie Friesen’s Next Level Business Coaching meeting. So, we drove down to see them. Bennie and Sher had also invited us to come hang out at the resort there. It was a lovely place on the water and we would not have minded spending a few days there, but business was calling back home and we had to be in Glenn Friday for the district tract meeting. So, a short stay in Monterey but nevertheless it was worth the drive. We ate ice cream by the sea, walked the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, met a bunch of the people who were attending Bennie’s class there, and enjoyed over-the-top clam chowder in a bread bowl for supper with a perfect view of the ocean bathed in sunset. There were actually quite a few people we knew attending the class, including some Walnut Hill folks, so that was neat. After supper, we headed back to Oakley. A three-hour drive.
Brent has recently ordered Gospel Tract business cards and the magnets they offer with a QR code on them. He is slapping those magnets on anything they’ll stick to and pinning up business cards on every bulletin board he finds. Also, there are a lot of little free library boxes around here. Gospel Tract has a really neat book of Bible Stories we’ve been putting in those library boxes whenever we see them.
Currently en route to Glenn for the tract meeting. Zipping past green fields, white orchards, and snow capped mountains. We will get home Sunday afternoon, and Ben, Erica, Zane, Malia, Rilla, and Lawson get here on Monday!!! (Those three exclamation marks mean excitement.🤭) I can’t wait for them to be here because Elliot will finally stop asking me when “Willa” is gonna come. Rilla just so happens to be one of his best friends. Ok, signing off. Feel free to pray for the work here.
