Breakfast at a little Country Inn then a long overdue visit with a friend who’s friendship started in grade school.  Being an only child and having Donna’s family take me into their close knit family was a gift I’ll never forget.  Visiting with Donna, her grown children and grandchildren left me with a warm and fuzzy glow for the rest of the day.  The visit, in her living room, was crowded with her family all chatting merrily and sharing their lives just as I had done with Donna’s brothers and parents so many years ago.  I don’t know what made me contact her through Facebook a few years ago but I’m so thankful that one of her daughters answered my friend request and we are now connected again.

After a late lunch, we took the dogs to Santa Cruz with us and spent some time walking around the beach,

the  board walk

and downtown area.

So many people talk of Austin, TX and Portland, OR as being weird but “people watching” in the Santa Cruz downtown area makes me believe that Santa Cruz should be included in the mix of strange.  Long haired hippies danced, sold crystal jewelry or played music on every corner.  A guy in old time jazz player garb was tickling the keys on a street corner.  Dread locks have not lost their popularity.  Spent a while relaxing with a cup of Starbucks to “people watch” and then the white knuckle drive through the curvy and mountainous highway that leads back to Santa Clara.