Mendocino County ~ Return to magic

Living in Marin County, I can be on the coast within an hour. Shear bliss. I can head south or I can head north, and no matter which way I look, pure magic happens. Mother Nature has blessed this coastline with one scenic location after the other. 

This time I choose to head north to Mendocino County. I roll down the window to take it all in. The cool coastal breezes beckon. At every turn in the road, I see breathtaking natural wonders: rugged coastline beaches, majestic towering redwoods, hillside artisanal vineyards. 

The picturesque scenery is spectacular. It is grand.

In Sea Ranch, I find serenity and panoramic ocean views. In Gualala, I stop for beach combing and perfect tide pools along the rocky shoreline. The lure of my next stop excites me - more rolling hills with new secrets revealed around each bend; then... Mendocino, that quaint town which sits on a headland surrounded by the Pacific Ocean with its oceanfront Victorian homes, its secluded bluffs, its dramatic surf. 

There is wilderness. 

There is charm. 

There is laziness. 

There is beauty. 

There is lingering morning fog. 

There is art.

It does not get better than this. it is the perfect getaway. There is peace, there is tranquility.

It is April. It is a good month. The wild flowers are in bloom. It is springtime,

You must know... It is good for the soul.

A gift of Spring ~ A Happy Easter

Outside in the front garden, the wisteria is in full bloom with its periwinkle blossoms drooping lazily, soon to be swept away by late afternoon winds. Dainty purple flowers dot the surface of  the rosemary plants while the tulips in full bloom on the back deck welcome the morning sun.

The sweet temptations and the soft pastels of Easter are here as well, with my younger daughter clearly reminding me that last year she was away camping when the Easter Bunny came through town. In her honor this year, I have captured Easter vignettes around the house: you will find hand-blown glass and hand-painted eggs from places near and far - including my own feeble attempt at Ukrainian egg design; traditional French 'dragées' - those irresistible candy coated almonds with that perfect crunch - too pretty to be eaten truly; outlandish floral crowns and hats; and a few Victorian inspired springtime treasures. 

I think I will let them all linger around well into April ~ and I believe even the Easter Bunny will stay a while, and be tempted to read the beautiful words of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. I found this excerpt from his poem "Spring!" to be just so... read on.

"Spring!" - Sonnets to Orpheus I,21 - by Rainer Maria Rilke

Earth, school is out now. You're free

to play with the children. We'll catch you,

joyous Earth. The happiest will catch you!

All that the teacher taught her - the many thoughts

pressed now into roots and long 

tough stems: She sings! She sings!

A Happy Easter ~ A Happy Spring ~ A Happy Daughter... I know this must be good for the soul...

Water's edge ~ China of long ago

It was just last weekend that I meandered along the windy roads of China Camp State Park, located just moments from my home, along the shore of the San Pablo Bay in Marin County. I could have been tempted by the discovery of alluring hiking trails along steep ridges with magical vistas; but once again, it was the water's edge that drew me in. 

The views of the waterfront are beautiful and tranquil. I was drawn to the small historic Chinese shrimp-fishing village nestled in its own idealic cove. Back in the 1880s, this thriving fishing village had nearly 500 people living there. As fishermen by trade in their homeland of Canton, China, they came, they netted, they dried, and shipped their harvest for years to come. I am told a descendent of one of these fishermen still tends to a small weekend café.

As I walked back and forth along the beach, camera in hand, I was taken in by the ghost-town feeling, and reminisced back to my high school days in Singapore, and the poetry of Li Po - one of the great Chinese classical poets.

Autumn River Song ~ by Li Po

The moon shimmers in green water. 
White herons fly through the moonlight.
The young man hears a girl gathering water-chestnut. 
Into the night, singing, they paddle home together.

There is such beauty around ~ as the winter chill slowly makes room for spring's awakening, 

I know I will return to China Camp, and maybe even to Singapore. 

It would clearly be good for the soul...