Quite a Week

and a most enjoyable busy one.

I have been editing my Morocco mini read and the first editing is almost finished.  Then it’s fine tuning, putting in all the funny bits that I love working on and Brion of www.bookcreatives.com already has ideas for the cover. If you’ve checked my website under mini read you know that he’s already turned me into a cartoon character and the little imp is making quite a name for herself.  He’s done a great job and I’m getting rave reviews on them.

Unfortunately on Wednesday I had to miss my newly-created writing group so I could go on the Langley Circle Farm Trip and it was fantastic.  I came home loaded down with gifts from each stop. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic pancake breakfast at Krause Berry Farms along with turkey sausage from JD Specialty Turkey Farms. I had never tasted turkey sausage and it was so DELICIOUS I might never eat pork sausage again.   During breakfast Erikson’s Daylily Gardens made a presentation.

We stopped at the Thunderbird Show Park but it was pouring rain and not much going on in the center ring but the farm certainly was impressive.  At Driediger Farms we were given a small presentation, never leaving the bus, and again we didn’t leave empty handed. Everyone on the bus got two gift-wrapped blueberry pies for home eating and sharing.  Sorry folks but they’ve been eaten – the first one with friends at my home, I froze the second one and brought it to a friend’s house who served a bunch of us Monday night dinner.  I sure am eating well these days and sadly, it really shows.

We continued on our tour to Fort Wine Company. It was another on-the-bus presentation but we left with a bottle on fruit wine and a ghost story.  I’ve got to head back there and hear more about the ghost that inhabits the building…..I LOVE those stories…..Spooky.

We stopped at Fort Langley National Historic Site and because of the rain nothing was going on although everyone was dressed in period-clothes.  We were given a pass to come back and hopefully with nice weather next week my friend Edith McCabe and I will head back there for a real tour and pictures.

We stopped at Ralphs Farm Market for another on the bus presentation – but I had to go and look around.  I love fresh fruit and vegetables and I’m in full support of buying local.

Lunch (please excuse me while I mop up the drool) was at a winery Domaine de Chaberton. FANTASTIC – definitely all in caps.  Crepes with Gruyere cheese and ham was my choice and the 2 other ladies at my table. The men ordered lamb shank with scalloped potatoes – YUM, YUM, YUM – I could go on all day and it was washed down with a glass of wine before we had a tour of the winery.  YUM, YUM, YUM – but I guess I already said that.

We stopped at Vista D’oro Farms and Winery.  We saw the new bedding plants before heading inside for a nibble of several varieties of artisanal preserves and we ate until the rain abated.  We each left with a jar of Rhubarb and Vanilla.

We stopped at the Langley Community Farmers Market and wandered around in the rain for a bit.  We didn’t have an opportunity of going to the Tuscan Farm Gardens but they felt we deserved a gift anyway…..We had the choice of several different hand and body lotions and I chose Lemon Grass.

Rain and all the day was fantastic. We were on the West Coast Sightseeing Tour bus with Carla Rich the Public Relations Manager and hats off to our driver who was sweet and funny and fabulous and even though he didn’t know the area managed to get us to all the places we needed to go.

That trip alone would have made the week terrific but there were a few other surprises in store for me.  I had a call from my friend Gillian Herbert, an expert on Baja, California. She and cameraman extraordinaire have put out a documentary DVD on the Baja and needed someone to interview Gillian for a Youtube introduction presentation.  I was chosen to do the interviewing.  It is now available on YouTube – Baja travel free RV video.  They did a great job and I have something new to put into my portfolio.  LUV IT.

As if that wasn’t enough – on Saturday I went down to Ikea and purchased a 3-seater couch to go along with my loveseat and chair.  A friend and I put it all together and came up one leg short – I’m waiting for it to be delivered by courier.  GREAT WEEK.  Can’t wait for the next great week.   Joei