Razzmatazlady

Category: Travel Commentary

  • A Picture Post

    It’s 6:30 a.m. and I’ve been up since about 5:00. It’s 17 degrees outside. That’s cold. I just went outside, though, to get the morning newspaper and there’s no wind so it’s tolerable.

    I was looking at some of the photos I’ve taken during our travels and have decided to post a few that I really like. Just for fun. So here goes…

    The first three I took a couple of years ago during a visit to Northern California – wine country – Sonoma County, to be exact. The flower pots were at the Korbel Winery. The next is a view of San Francisco from Sausalito. The third photo I took driving through the Russian River Valley. It is so gorgeous there. If I could live anywhere in the world and money was no object, I would choose Northern California. I really would.

    The next four shots are from Arizona. The doorknocker is on the door of a house in the Tucson desert and the butterfly photo I took at the Arizona Desert Museum. What a great place to visit. I love the desert.

    The Indian sculpture is in the town of Sedona and the cool terra cotta lady is on the patio at Michael’s house in Mesa.

    The last picture is from my own perennial garden. A pretty daylily. I can hardly wait until it’s nice enough to be outside in the gardens. Jack, especially, is eager to get his hands dirty. He’s outside from dawn until dusk every summer.

    Doesn’t seem like summer will ever get here. It will, though. Gotta be patient.






  • The First Day of Spring At Lake Mary

    We are back at Lake Mary after a fun-filled (although, as you well know, not without incident) winter. I’m feeling quite ambivalant, truth be known.

    We came home early because I came down with a bug of some sort over the weekend in Kansas. Sore throat, headache, chills. Not the sort of thing a person wants to pass on to anyone. So we piled ourselves in the reliable old Bronco and headed for the frozen North. Little did we know what we were in for…

    On the one hand it’s nice to be in my own little nest. All my own things. Cooking in my own kitchen with my own pots, pans, utensils, spices and herbs, etc.

    On the other hand, this is not what the first day of spring is like in California or Arizona or any of the other spots we visited these past few months. I took this snowy picture (and, yes, this is in color) of the beach this morning from our snow covered deck. It’s approximately the same shot as the sunset picture of Lake Mary that defines this blog.

    Believe it or not, we’ve got several inches of new snow since just this morning and it’s STILL SNOWING! The good news is that it’s all supposed to be melted by the first of the week.

    Um, I’ll let you know how that goes.

    Still, it’s good to be home. I think…

  • Southfork Ranch

    The Famous Southfork Mansion Patio

    We did go out to Southfork Ranch on Wednesday. We purchased the tour which lasted about an hour and decided that it was well worth doing even though there wasn’t a Ewing in sight. The ranch is located northeast of Dallas near Parker, TX. We learned lots of interesting facts – the show ran for thirteen years, for example. The first episode aired in 1978.

    Did I really spend thirteen years of my life glued in front of the television set on Friday nights? I guess I must have because there weren’t too many episodes that I missed, I can assure you. That was before Tivo. If you missed an episode, you missed an episode. And that was that…
    By the way, it was Jack’s fault that I got hooked on that show. He was in a bowling league that met on Friday nights. One night I was just looking for something amusing on TV and found “Dallas”. I was one of the thousands of faithful fans until it ended.

    This is a photo I took of the Waterford chandelier that hangs in the foyer. We were told that it is valued at $17,000. There are also two smaller Waterford chandeliers in the dining room which are worth $7,000 or so each. Who knew?
    The original owner of the ranch and his family actually lived there while Lorimar Productions filmed the series. Lorimar was only allowed to film during the months of June, July and August because the family didn’t want to disrupt the children’s school schedule. As time went on the series became so popular throughout the world that the influx of tourists who wanted to visit the ranch became overwhelming and the family sold the ranch and moved away.
    So that was a good day. We’re leaving our housesitting assignment today after Pretzel & Kitz‘ family returns. Tomorrow we’re headed north. Please, please, please let the weather be good when we get home…

  • Pretzel and Kitz and JFK

    We drove into Dallas this morning to see the place where JFK was fatally wounded on November 22, 1963. It’s quite a sight.

    It’s believed that the shot(s) that were fired at President John F. Kennedy came from the sixth floor of this building which is the Texas School Book Depository. It would be the last window on the right side, sixth floor.

    Lee Harvey Oswald was apparently the shooter. Of course, there are those who believe that it was a CIA conspiracy and that Oswald was merely a pawn. That’s all I really know about it.

    The next photo is part of the memorial at the Dealey Plaza right near the infamous “grassy knoll” where there were several witnesses to the assassination. Dealey Plaza is now a National Historic Landmark.

    The picture below that is of the actual JFK Memorial. It’s supposed to represent an open tomb. The picture really doesn’t do it justice. It’s quite impressive but it’s not at all what I expected a memorial to JFK would be. I don’t honestly know what I expected but it wasn’t this.

    We wandered around that area for quite some time. There are lots of restaurants with outdoor tables and some “touristy” shops. It was a beautiful day so it was very pleasant.

    Then we drove up to a picturesque little town called Grapevine. Lots of antique shops, gift shops, art galleries and places to eat. I highly recommend a trip to Grapevine if you’re ever in the area. I wish we would have had more time to spend but we did have to get back to our little friends, Pretzel and Kitz.


    So Ta-Daaa! (or however you spell that) This is a picture of Pretzel and Kitz! Cute little things and they just love us. Especially me. Pretzel is the one in front. You have to be careful not to get Kitz too excited or she piddles. Just give her a quick pat as you’re fussing over Pretzel.

    Tomorrow we’re going to Southfork Ranch – anyone remember the television show Dallas? Well, that’s where we’re going. I loved that show. Photos will be forthcoming, of course.

    By the way, I think I’m getting the hang of this camera.

  • The Meaning of Texas-Size

    Well, we had planned to go sightseeing, today. I was going to take lots of cool pictures. Didn’t happen. First of all, we got a late start and then we didn’t want to get stuck in the Dallas traffic so we decided just to browse around the area.
    There’s a place called Cedar Hill State Park that’s not far away. We sort of found it. Didn’t actually go into the park but we found a “scenic view” area and I took this picture of the lake. Not one of my better efforts, I admit – kind of blurry. I’m still learning about this camera and I probably don’t have the settings right, yet. But I’m posting it to give you an idea about the kind of day it was because, believe it or not, this is actually a color picture.
    When I said we sort of found it, I mean we sort of got lost. Well, not really lost. We just didn’t have a very good map. At one point we wandered into a subdivision of houses that you had to see to believe. That’s what I should have taken pictures of.
    Each house was bigger than the last. Not just big – HUGE! It’s what Texas-size means, I guess. Really, really huge. Let’s see, how can I describe it? O.K., picture a homeowner looking at the newer bigger house next to his and thinking “Well, this just will not do…..” So he’d add another room. Or another wing. That’s what they are like. Big blocks attached to more big blocks. Willy-nilly. With no particular architectural definition. Sort of Contemporary meets Colonial meets Victorian meets Southwest. It was just nuts! I hate to admit it but that was the excitement for the day.
    Tomorrow we’re leaving earlier and going downtown. We’re going to the book depository where JFK was shot. Hopefully, do a little shopping, too. It’s supposed to be a nice day – sunny and warm.
    I’ve tried to take some pics of Pretzel and Kitz but I haven’t been able to get them to sit still long enough. If they see me coming with the camera they scamper right over to me, tails going a hundred miles an hour, jumping up and down and want to be patted. They do not know what “sit” means. I’ll keep trying.
    More tomorrow, I hope.
    If you go to Dallas, here’s the link to the visitors’ guide. http://dallascityhall.com/services/Services_Visitors.html

  • So This Is Dallas…

    Here we are in Dallas, Texas. We had a fairly uneventful trip from Phoenix. There was a crash of some sort coming into El Paso, Texas and we were rerouted around the city. It was notable only because the “loop” route that we took went high into the hills and we had a birdseye view of the city. That was as exciting as the trip got. Sorry.

    There can’t be a more desolate place than western Texas. Hundreds of miles of prairie with nothing growing other than an occasional nondescript shrub.

    Well, there are the refineries, too. When you’re traveling at night they look like something from another planet. Yellow lights trimming all of the refinery structures. Quite eerie, actually. Sort of like something from outer space. During the day they’re just big, industrial looking buildings and tanks and pipes and who-knows-what.

    There are a few interesting facts noted in the AAA Tourbook on Texas. For example, Pecos, Texas is the place where the first rodeo was staged. It was actually a competition of sorts between various ranches and their ranch hands. Now it’s held every year around the Fourth of July.

    Just when you think you’ll go bonkers, you come to the “hill country”. Very pretty. Lots of rolling hills and a teensy little bit of color other than beige. Must be really nice when it starts to green up.

    Then you arrive in Fort Worth/Dallas and you’re back in civilization. I think I’m gonna like it here. (Sigh of relief… )

    We met our new little charges two little mini-dachshunds – Pretzel and Kitz. They are the cutest little things (both girls) and I think we’ll really have fun with them. I’ll take some pictures today, if I can.

  • On The Way To Dallas

    Prickly Pear Cactus at Tohono Chul Nature Preserve in Tucson
    Saguaro Cactus in Tucson, Arizona

    We’re back in Arizona. Got here on Sunday. Believe it or not, the trip from Los Angeles was uneventful. Boring, actually, except for the Santa Ana winds that were incredible. We did not blow off the road, however, so I think the “travel curse” has been lifted. On the other hand, it could just be toying with me and we’ll get nailed somewhere between here and Dallas – ha!

    The Arizona desert is so unique. Traveling to Arizona I am always excited when I see the first cactus. Coming down into the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) from Flagstaff it’s the prickly pear cacti that you see first. You’ll spot one or two all by themselves and then a few more and a few more and before you know it they’re all over the place!

    If you’re driving from California, the first cactus you see will be the saguaro (pronounced sah-wah-roh) about an hour or so from Phoenix. Just one or two. Here and there. Then you know you’re nearly there. I think you either love the desert or you hate it – there’s no middle ground. I love it.

    We’re leaving for Dallas tomorrow for another housesitting assignment. Two mini-dachshunds. Should be interesting. I think it’ll be fun. More to come…

  • A Lost Camera…

    It’s been an interesting week. We’ve been so busy getting Jen moved into her new apartment that I haven’t had time to post anything. I can’t believe how I’ve let this go but I’ll try to catch up.

    Let’s see – where to begin? How about this…I’ve lost my camera and I haven’t any idea where it could be. I’ve wracked my brain. Jack and I have thought back to everything we’ve done and everywhere we’ve gone and nothing rings a bell. We’ve searched through our luggage and have turned the car inside out. Nothing. Nada. We’ve looked in Jennifer’s car, her old apartment, her new apartment. Nope. Not anywhere.

    There is an outside chance that it’s somewhere at the house of our last housesitting assignment and that it’ll show up a year from now. Or it could be lost there forever. I can say that with some authority having stayed there for ten days. It was a wonderful experience, really. The little toy poodle was as sweet as could be. We really got a kick out of her and her “small dog syndrome” attitude. You know, where the tiny little dog sees the great big dog and goes ballistic.

    But I digress. The house was filled wall to wall with antiques. Tables with silver-framed photos and collections of decorative boxes, collections of oriental pottery, a collection of little frogs – glass, china, pottery, wooden, you name it.

    There was an enormous antique crystal chandelier over the coffee table and another exactly like it over the dining table. They were very old, not electric and actually held candles. I can’t begin to imagine how much they were worth. There were paintings, prints, and photographs hung floor to ceiling. A huge armoire in the living room and a beautiful oriental coromandel screen in one corner.

    In any case, my camera could possibly be there somewhere. The lovely people who live there have promised to look for it. I’m not holding out any hope, though. I’m pretty sure it’s not there at all. It probably had a couple of hundred pictures on it but I really think I had downloaded all of them to my computer. I hope.

    Tomorrow I’ll tell you all about the moving company that Jen hired to move her stuff.

  • An Interesting Dinner

    Last night Jennifer, Jack and I went to dinner at the Bel Air Bar and Grill. It’s a wonderful restaurant and the ambiance is really special. White linens on the tables, candles, absolutely beautiful flower arrangements. There’s a covered patio that’s lit with tiny lights – it’s magical.
    But it’s not over-the-top fancy where you have to be dressed up. Jeans are acceptable, although probably not your “holey” jeans…
    Anyway, the people we are housesitting for are florists and they do all the floral arrangements for the Grill. I wish I would have taken a picture of the two huge arrangements that flanked the archway into the restaurant from the bar. Very, very nice.
    So it’s Burger Night at the Grill and that’s what we had. Yummy. We were waiting for our meals when one of Jennifer’s neighbors came in and we were introduced. He’s an advertising guy here in Los Angeles and does many of the commercials that we see on television. If you watch Wheel of Fortune you might have seen the commercials where the characters are dressed as the talking letters? His work. Nice guy.
    Then, a day or so ago, the fellow who lives in the apartment above us came down to introduce himself. Another interesting person. He’s an artist here who freelances at trials, etc. We visited his home studio and were amazed at the work that he has done. He also in an art teacher at one of the colleges here.
    He told us that his first job was covering the Charles Manson trial! Some of the other trials he worked were the trials of O.J. Simpson, Lee Marvin (that palimony case), the Melendez brothers (the guys who killed their parents for the money) AND the Michael Jackson trial. You can see some of his sketches at his website http://www.billrobles.com/.
    Never a dull moment here in the City of Angels. By the way, I just checked the weather at home. At the present moment it’s -19 degrees…
    2/20/2008

  • Planes, Trains & Automobiles Redux

    Happy Valentine Day!! We’re in Los Angeles, again. And very happy to be here.

    The saga continues…

    I’m not fond of flying because I have asthma and I had a scary incident on a flight several years ago which resulted in my having to have oxygen. It wasn’t pleasant and it put me off that mode of transportation for quite some time. That’s when I thought train travel was the way to go (if I couldn’t drive which I just love). Well, those of you who have followed this winter’s journey know how THAT turned out. Those of you who are just joining our adventures may want to scroll down to some of the older posts describing our travels with Amtrak.

    I was feeling pretty positive. We were at the airport in Seattle in plenty of time for me to browse through some of the shops and have a latte before we boarded the plane. I had my inhaler and decided that using it before flying would probably be wise. So I did.

    We didn’t have a direct flight. That was the first mistake. We were flying to Las Vegas and changing planes there for the last short leg to Los Angeles.

    For starters, the leg room was not measurably better than the legroom on that awful bus we had to ride in Oregon, if you remember THAT incident. I’m not kidding. You can ask Jack. NO leg room.

    The poor guy on the other side of the aisle not only had to contend with that but there was an enormous young man (repeat, enormous) in the seat ahead of him who was so big that when he sat back in his seat, it reclined. It couldn’t be helped – he was so big that the seat just leaned way back.

    The flight attendant, of course, did his pre-flight check and pointed out to this enormous person that his seat needed to be in an upright position before taking off. The guy pulled it up but then, when he leaned back, there it went, again……so what’re ya gonna do? At least he wasn’t in front of me. Wonder of wonders…

    So the flight was relatively uneventful. We had our complimentary beverage and a bag of snack mix. Maybe a quarter of a cup in each bag. Maybe. No big deal. We paid five bucks for a snack box of crackers and chicken salad, a snack bar of some sort, a little bag of cookies and a bag of fruit and nut mix.

    I ate the fruit and nut mix and Jack had the snack bar and a couple of the nickle-sized cookies. I got ginger ale and Jack had orange juice. I put the can of chicken salad and the crackers in our carry-on thinking it could be a snack later, after we got to the apartment.

    We were about 20 minutes out of Las Vegas when we hit a very windy patch. I’m told that that’s how it is when you’re flying over the desert. Something about the hot air on the ground crashing into the cool air from above the clouds. But it was also very windy. The weather report from the captain said that it was windy and about 75 degrees in Las Vegas.

    Well, we bumped along and had more than our fair share of that feeling that the plane has dropped a bit but your stomach didn’t? Know what I mean? I wasn’t feeling very well. I tried to close my eyes and think pleasant thoughts. But we just kept bouncing and rolling along and finally much to my dismay I lost my cookies (or rather my fruit and nuts and ginger ale) into that convenient little bag that they stow in the pocket of the seat ahead of you. I was as ladylike as I could be, I want you to know, and I was (I think) fairly quiet. I didn’t look at Jack. I didn’t look at anyone. I did ask Jack to give me his little bag, too, just in case. Talk about a humbling experience.

    We finally landed. Had about 45 minutes before the next little leg to L.A. Boy, I did NOT want to get back on another airplane. At least, not until the wind went down. I’d have given anything for a car right about then. But I hung in there, climbed aboard the next plane and we made it to Los Angeles without further incident.

    The weather is lovely. Cool but sunny. Jack is going to go to the L.A. Open at the Riviera Country Club tomorrow. I might go, too.

    Will keep you posted.

    By the way, if you have never seen the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy, you’ve just got to rent it. It’s a classic.