Chasing Sunsets

​And since we can not see the sunsets very well from our house…We drive out into the country and immerse ourselves in the warm rays of the sunset. The colors melting into layers above purple mountains, warmth fading, a golden light draping the world in a velvet blanket. A row of palm trees waves tall, silhouetted against the sunset sky, and I know I’m going to miss these palm tree-studded California skies. We have been having incredibly delicious weather. The mornings and evenings have been in the upper 50s to lower 60s. We’ve had a cool breeze from the bay that keeps the warm afternoons comfortable, and you can barely keep from frolicking about like a small child. How do you just leave a place like this?

We spent a very warm, sun-drenched weekend with Shawn and Eddie in Glenn. Swimming, boating, meeting friends for supper on the river, church, and Elliot’s first Sunday school. One of Elliot’s sweet little friends came running to the back of church, grabbed his hand, and took him to his Sunday school class.🥲

We had Livingston one weekend for Sunday service. Our last Sunday service.😌

Father’s Day weekend we were on our own. We hiked to the top of Mount Tam and stopped at a cute ice cream shop in Larkspur that was tucked into a grove of massive redwood trees. Mount Tamalpais is a prominent peak that offers panoramic views of the SF Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful drive up there. We pulled off numerous times as there were little brooklets and waterfalls accessible by whimsical fern-lined dirt paths that were longing to be explored. Lots of towering redwood trees. Once we arrived at the top, there was a hiking trail that led to a fire tower that stood on the very peak of the mountain. Brent wore Ezra, I wore Leo, and Elliot walked. It was quite a strenuous hike. Not exactly kid-friendly, and had we known the conditions, we likely wouldn’t have done the hike. But, Elliot was a little champ. We got some interesting looks as we clambered up with our three kids, but hey, the views were worth it. We stopped about halfway down the mountain for a little picnic, and Brent wanted to try his new percolator. He plugged it in in the van and promptly blew some fuses. He spent quite some time under the hood of the van trying to fix the problem. A few YouTube videos later, he got it figured out. No coffee in the mountains, but a good day nonetheless.Part of the view from the top of Mount Tam.The fire tower on Mount Tam’s peak. 

One evening we drove into Berkeley for supper at our favorite Italian place. It is a very small place with very big flavors. It is always quite hot and crowded in there, but I promise you the food is so worth it. Their pasta is made from ancient Italian grains and is fairly bursting with fresh flavor. Their pizza sauce has never met a jar and the pizza crust is exactly as it is in Italy. (Ask me about their tiramisu; I may have tried it.) After supper we wound our way up into the mountains to Grizzly Peak Vista Point to watch the sun set over Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and the bay. It was quite windy and cool up there, so we sat in the van. I am always amazed at the weather in the Bay Area. It is so cool in the evenings; we usually have sweaters with us. (I’m kind of in love with cool evenings by now.) The view from Grizzly Peak Vista Point. 

KC, Mel, and their three boys came to visit us. So fun to actually get some of our friends out here. KC rented a van that we could all ride in, and we covered a lot of ground. Day 1 we went to the Golden Gate State Park, stopped for coffee at Equator Coffee in Sausalito, ate lunch at West Coast Sourdough, and made our favorite stops in Napa Valley. For supper, we stopped at our favorite Indian restaurant, Naan and Curry. On day 2, we went to Santa Cruz. Enjoyed a picnic lunch at the Covered Bridge Park, meandered through the astonishing Henry Cowell Redwood Park, saw the sea lions at the Santa Cruz Pier, stopped for coffee at our favorite Verve coffee shop, and took Hwy 1 back home. (Of course the Hwy 1 part of the drive demanded a few stop-and-gawk pull-offs.) Day 3 we spent in San Francisco. I almost cried because the weather there was cold and foggy. Brent and I can only remember ONE other time that it was that foggy there. But alas, we carried on. We rode the cable cars, ate pizza and sipped cappuccinos in Little Italy, drove through Chinatown, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, and ended up at our favorite taco truck for supper in Brentwood. Day 4 we ate breakfast at the Brentwood Café, picked peaches at The Farmer’s Daughter, stopped in at Curt and Lois’s and picked lots of fresh fruit, and had Alex and Bethany Loewen come for a trip-tip supper at our place. Made some good memories, and the boys had the best time ever with three boys to play with. KC’s drove our Explorer home for us, so we very much appreciated that.

I don’t know that I have ever expounded on Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. It is a stunner. There is a tree there that about ten people can stand inside of at once. It is known as the Fremont Tree. According to local legend, John C. Fremont and his surveying party camped inside the tree while exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1846. The park’s tallest tree stands at 277 feet tall, 16 feet wide, and is approximately 1,500 years old. And to think, these trees started from a tiny seed that is similar in size to a tomato seed and grew into one of the largest living organisms on the earth. We always enjoy the quiet woods, fern-lined dirt paths, the massive Redwood trees, the sunlight filtering through the treetops, and the unique banana slugs hiding beneath the fern leaves.Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. 

We left the same day KC’s did for a Park Day with my midwives. Came home from that, threw together clothes, and headed for the Regher Reunion in Ballico. We got to eat supper that evening at the rock house my great-grandfather built years ago. Life is a scream, I’ll tell ya.

Brent spent the next week finishing up his tract routes. The boys and I went with him on his last local tract route. Our South San Francisco route. This route transports you to another country. The stucco homes are so colorful, built closely, and there are hole-in-the-wall restaurants and stores on every corner. We ate lunch at an authentic Jamaican place. “Flavas Jamaican Grill.” It was hot in there, the TV was way too loud, and the guy who took our order had the appropriate dreadlock hairstyle. We squeezed into a little table and enjoyed jerk chicken, jerk pork, rice and beans, and fried plantain. Fully delicious. I believe we were the only Americans in the place. It was bittersweet to think that this was our last time doing that route.

We walk to the park every evening that we are home, as the boys usually need to run off a bunch of energy before bed. The boys get quite a ways ahead of us, but they know where they are supposed to stop and wait for us. They know they are never to cross the road without us. They do really well, but a lot of times random people will stop and low-key freak out that these two little boys are waiting all alone at the crosswalk and will wait with the boys until we catch up. I suppose they think we are terrible parents. Elliot usually gets to the park and tells everyone his name and asks them what their name is. Soon he is playing with numerous kids, and Ezra is hiding under the slide because a kid asked him what his name was and he got shy. The boys are so different. 😅 They do love to go to the park, and I think it has broadened their horizons a lot to interact with other kids. They get asked if they are twins all the time. Elliot told me the other day, “All these people are about to pull me around the bend because they keep asking are we twins.” There is an Indian lady we see walking at the park quite often. She finally got up her nerve to ask us if she could hold Leo. Leo was tickled to death to meet her. She fairly wept over him. It was almost funny. She kissed his cheeks and squeezed him. “God bless him with long life,” she whispered as she handed him back to me.

We spent a sunny 70° day in San Francisco doing random things. We drove around Treasure Island, walked around under the ginormous Bay Bridge, and took in the San Francisco skyline views. Treasure Island is a 400-acre island in San Francisco Bay that offers unobstructed views of the SF skyline, Alcatraz, and the Bay Bridge. For lunch, we ate at Dumpling Story in San Francisco. Have you ever tried Chinese dumplings? We love them. We walked to Tartine Bakery for luscious pastries and caps, and enjoyed the sunshine at Mission Dolores Park, along with the frolicking dogs.

Mission Dolores Park. 

We also went to the top of the Coit Tower in SF. It was built in 1933 simply for the purpose of adding beauty to the city. The 360° views from up there are amazing. It was interesting to see the rooftops of people’s homes as well. Lots of rooftop patios. Some even had landscaping up there or little gardens. Ended up spending the rest of the sun-soaked afternoon at Crissy Field. A beautiful place to walk by the sea. Elliot fed pastry crumbs to the birds and the youngest two boys napped. Coit Tower.Crissy Field. 

Troy and Kayla invited us up there for the Fourth of July. The guys got up at some insane hour and went squirrel hunting. The boys and I hung out at the house with Kayla and her girls. For supper, Daniel and Rachelle and Justin and Jolene came for carnitas. The fireworks finally began around 10 pm and were enjoyed from the rooftop. We went to West Valley for church and to Alex and Bethany’s for Sunday lunch. Travis and Caitlyn were there as well. 

We did our South Lake Tahoe and Carson City, Nevada overnight route for the last time. I tried to soak up all the mesmerizing views to put away in my mental book of most amazing places-  the purest blue lake nestled in the embrace of the Sierra Nevada mountains. We had a little time in the evenings to walk about the shores of the lake and feed the geese. We watched two spellbinding sunsets over the mountains, the colors mirrored in the cobalt depths of the lake. I told Brent it is actually quite torturous to have a tract route here, for we are always too busy actually to vacation much. The shores of the lake were alive with sunbathers. The sparkling lake waters held many boats, paddle boards, kayaks, and swimmers. I wanted to join so badly, but usually by the time we are done with tracts it is too late to swim. Summer in Tahoe was definitely in full swing. There are so many cool campgrounds there too, and I dream of camping there someday. On our way home, we drove up to Fallen Leaf Lake and Glen Alpine Falls. You can not imagine the beauty, and neither can I portray it with words. We bumped along a narrow road lined with majestic Redwoods, lush green ferns, and so many blooming sweet peas. (Yes, sweet peas grow wild in the cooler parts of California. White, bright pink, soft pink, and light purple.) The bumpy road followed the very edge of Fallen Leaf Lake, and we had to pull off when we met another vehicle. We drove until we reached Glen Alpine Falls, and then the road turned into a hiking trail. Go there someday.

Fallen Leaf Lake.

Glen Alpine Falls.

The second weekend in July was spent in Ballico. Barry Friesen’s invited us to a Friesen deal at their place on Sunday. It was fun to squeeze in one more Friesen party. We have very much enjoyed the Friesens kindly including us in some of their family deals over the last two years.

We hiked to the top of Hawk Hill the other day. It has been on our list of things to do before we leave. Now we really wish we had gone up there sooner. Hawk Hill is located in the Marin Headlands just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito. It is the most famous and photographed 360° view in the Bay Area. Expansive and incredible views. (A prime place to watch sunsets.) Hawk Hill is also one of the premier bird-watching locations in North America. Each fall, thousands of hawks, eagles, and falcons come through those headlands. There are military bunkers on Hawk Hill that were built during World War Two to protect San Francisco from enemy warships and aerial attacks. Anyway, we enjoyed views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the huge ships coming and going, Point Bonita Lighthouse, the Pacific Ocean, and the rugged Marin coastline. The Stairway to Heaven is located on Hawk Hill, and is a 413-step dramatic staircase leading down the cliffside. Once again, the views. (This is California’s version of The Stairway to Heaven in Hawaii.) Drove on down the incredibly scenic one-way Conzelman Road that clings to the mountainside above the sea, to the Black Sands Beach trailhead. It is a one-mile hike that starts as a series of staircases and leads down a steep hill to the beach. Turns out you don’t have to go all the way to Hawaii to see black sand beaches or a stairway to heaven. We ate supper for one last time at Taste of Rome in Sausalito. Their pizza never disappoints. On down the street, we peeked into a display case of delightfully arranged dainty Italian cookies and pastries at Sausalito Bakery and Café.View from Hawk Hill.Stairway to Heaven.

Black Sands Beach.Sausalito Bakery and Cafe.

Bryce and Savannah invited us for one last weekend at Glenn. Jared and Lisa Loewen invited us for Sunday lunch, and we attended Travis and Kendie’s reception in the evening. Definitely going to miss a lot of good people there! 

We met Troy and Kayla and Alex and Bethany in Sac for supper and ice cream. Can’t believe we are already saying goodbye to our friends. 😩 We also met Shawn and Eddie and Karson and Mishayla in Rio Vista at Foster’s Bighorn. After supper, we walked to a cute little ice cream shop. We almost got caught up in a police chase as we were strolling by the river, minding our business, enjoying our ice cream. A guy on a motorcycle was running from the cops, and it turns out he lives right there in Rio Vista. He barricaded himself in his house and took a quick shower before surrendering. Anyway, it was sad to say goodbye to Shawn’s and Karson’s. Shawn’s opened their home to us when we first got here, and have been like family ever since. We can never repay them for their love, friendship, and hospitality. Dear friends such as these have made two years of service a joy.

Next weekend, our last weekend, we are invited to Isaiah and Chantal’s wedding in Ballico. Chantal is our former field secretary, Lester and Francine’s daughter. We plan to stay with our friends from Livingston, Jeremy and Vicki. 

Some flowers blooming here right now that have been summoning my gaze with their iridescent blooms:

Pride of Madeira. They are especially prolific down by the coast. There are also blue ones. Tower of Jewel.Matilija Poppy. So delicate, so darling. Wild Sweet Peas.

We are beginning to pack up some boxes and are doing a lot of things for the last time. Brent has officially finished all of his forty-six routes, which include around 2,000 stops. We put around 85,000 miles on the van in the last two years. I’ve begun soaking up all the familiar scenes around me and tucking them away for safekeeping. Two years have flown by in the literal blink of an eye, and before I know it, these scenes will be flashing before my eyes for the last time. A large lump remains lodged in my throat at the very thought of leaving this place, but life must go on. It is funny to think that back when we were placed in California, it wasn’t our choice. But God knew all along what He was doing, and His spot for us in the Bay Area was much better than we could have imagined. The lifelong friends we’ve made, the experiences we’ve had, the beautiful places we’ve seen, have made the last two years a dream. And our prayer has been that the tracts we have distributed will land in the hands of searching souls. We have received quite a few emails from people in the areas we have routes, so we will see if anything will come of it. It’s all in God’s omnipotent hands. It seems that some of our neighbors here in our subdivision have just begun to really warm up to us, and now it is time to go. The best two years of our lives? Some say the best is yet to come, so that’s fun to look forward to. In the meantime, I will be reliving the last two years of life in California, as I am quite certain indeed that these two years will go down in history as some of the best days of our lives.

If you followed along on our adventures in California, thank you for being here.