We felt like we practically crawled to Vickie and Kam’s doorstep after our months of travel. Maddie was so tired she didn’t even wake up when we arrived.
But wow, what a gorgeous place to land. It’s hard to describe how beautiful it is. But here’s a try. Rolling golden mountains dotted with live oak trees so dark green they look almost black against the sunny hills. The famous Grass Mountain in the distance. Vineyards climbing everywhere (for those not in the know, that’s a fancy word for a field with grapes planted in it).
Los Alamos (or Lost Almost as Vickie likes to call it), is Chumash for the cottonwoods. There’s a resort vibe to the air. Look in any travel magazine and there’s probably an article about it. Quickly becoming a food mecca. Already known for being where the pinot grape is grown. If you really want to know what it looks like, go back and watch the movie Sideways. That’s pretty much where they live (and the movie holds up, too).
We’re planning a big family reunion out here around Christmas. Anyone wants to come out, it’d be a good time to see everyone!
I got here just in time to expand Kam’s cable package so I could watch the Vols get beat by Florida. Again. On a last second play. Again. By a second string quarterback. Again.
We arrived during a heat wave of epic proportions. Did you know they do not sell air conditioning units in California? That’s what I assume or else why would God have done this to us? But the upside of the heatwave was that we were promptly whisked off to Hollister Ranch where we all dove right in the Pacific Ocean. Thanks, dear friends (i.e. family) Cynthia and Monte. It’s one of the most stunning places on earth. We also spent several days horsing around in Vickie’s neighbor’s pool like teenagers.
We spent most of the month getting known around town as new locals. Of course, everyone already knew who we were thanks to Vickie telling everyone who would listen how excited she was about our impending move. Ate many great meals at Flatbread, Pico, Plenty, and Bob’s Bread. Did very poorly at a blind wine tasting (although the winemaker at our table didn’t do any better). Expanded our minds at the Friday Night Speaker Series at Casa du Metz where made many new friends. Played endless rounds of late-night shuffleboard at the Union Hotel. Learned to play pickleball, Kam’s new obsession. Casey tagged along to Ladies of Los Alamos (LOLA) with Vickie.
Spent a good bit of time checking out music locally where I was impressed by a lot of the local talent and also found an excuse to reconnect with old friends like Elizbaeth Cook and Robbie Fulks at the Tales for the Tavern at the world famous Maverick. Man, has Robbie gotten good over the years. He blew us away as we danced to “Push Right Over” (cowritten with my old roommate, the incomparable Rosie Flores). And I’ve never heard Elizabeth’s voice sound so good. What a knockout.
Explored the Los Padres National Forest a bit and even managed to find a little water here at the end of the dry season. Great swimming hole up here. And caught my first fish in California.
Our last weekend before moving down to our new home (more on that to come in the next post) was both Vickie’s birthday and Los Alamos Olde Days. What a way to wrap up our sojourn in Little LA. Olden Days is like a cross between a county fair, high school homecoming, and a Mexican street party. We loved it. We kicked off the weekend in style at the opening dance (where Casey met a new friend, by the way– I ran out to get cash and returned to find Casey being twirled around the dancefloor by a husky local kid). The dance was in a old gymnasium lined on all sides by one wooden bench with a stage a the end. The kind of gymnasium I grew up in where the free throw circle crosses over into the half-court circle. The drama of a small town and its politics wafted through the air. They had a killer band. Heavy on old-school Brooks & Dunn. The four of us danced late into the night.
We soaked up everything Oldie Days had to offer from the extensive silent auction (that we ended up being relatively competitive in), strolling the main thoroughfare with kettle corn and paletas, even helped man the Friends of the Library book sale where books were $1 an inch. The highlight was the parade, which featured several marching bands, scores of floats from the FFA club and more, and at least three groups of Mexican horse dancing, each complete with their own mariachi band. Crazy cool.
We spent the last couple of days gathering up all our stuff from closets, the garage, cars, pretty much everywhere. We were kind of like a bomb going off when we got there. I doubt Vickie and Kam will miss keeping the incorrigible Zeke out of the catfood, breaking up kitty battles between Mad-dog-Maddie and Lucky (lucky for Lucky, she’s 20 and not quite at her fighting weight), me hollering at the TV on Saturdays, etc. But we’re pretty sure they’ll miss us the next time they need doubles for a shuffleboard tournament or a wine drinking contest or a parade or better yet, a dance rolls around. Lucky for them, we’ll be back. Often.
Thanks, Mom & Kam-dad. Can’t imagine two other people who we would live with in such harmony for a month. P.S. Kam makes a mean smoothie.
summartime.blog 