From the Foothills to the Ocean, in style and chocolate

I dread the arrival of summer here in the Foothills. It gets so hot up here. I love the heat for maybe 2 or 3 reasons: my vegetable garden early in the morning, wading in the Mokeulmne River looking for gold and the evenings with it's fragrance of the oaks and manzanitas. That's about it. From late June to almost Halloween it's just nasty, horrible hot, hot, hot here. I've never gotten use to it and always try to rationalize why I continue to live in such a furnace. I guess I put up with the summers so I can enjoy the rest of the year. Where else can you take long walks in winter and not have to worry about a freek snow storm? Only here do I wake up to deer drinking out of the water bucket we leave for them and coyote songs. So now, thanks to my sister's generosity, I have an escape. She offers her lovely second home to everyone, but I get priority treatment: After all, I am her only sister....., and she lovvvves me. Right sis? (That was all a bit too ingratiating wasn't it?, but when the summer heat is involved, I'm shameless.)

Even though it isn't summer yet, I jumped at the invite to spend a couple of days with Sis at her place. The weather was cold, windy and mostly sunny. We had such a good time. Mostly just relaxing, but we did manage some shopping. On our way over we hit a few places in Berkeley, down on 4th St. Great stores and good food! Then In Pacifica there is a Ross store. From Sur La Table and Anthropologie.... to Ross: from the sublime and expensive to the "Oh wow! What a deal.!" store. We bought some food at Safeway( and lots of chocolate) so we wouldn't have to leave once we settled in. We had a good dinner, watched T.V., gave each other a back rub and did our stretching exercises , then, with no guilt at all, we ate CHOCOLATE.
The next day we drove around and looked at all the little cottages and homes tucked up into the canyons over looking the town of Pacifica, lusting over a few of them. Then we took a walk on the Pacifica Pier. This took great bravery on my part because, and I hate to confess this, I'm extremely afraid of the ocean. Yes I am! My camera has become my lifeline and seems to take my mind off of where I would never be if I didn't want to take pictures so badly. I have been on this pier twice and I always get a bit shaky out there. It was very windy last week and the waves were huge. About half-way out they roared under us and shook the pileings and the whole pier vibrated. Taking photos didn't overcome the panic and I said something to the effect of "That's it. I'm going back." Then, I thought about a strong earthquake hitting the coast and swallowing that pier and tossing it into the first ocean trench it could find. I was out of there. There is no "good" reason to be out beyond the sand and serf when you can see it from the shore. That my belief and no one will ever change it. Sis was very kind and followed me back to the parking lot, but I know she was smiling...., and thinking, " My big sister; the brave one. " Dad would have called me a "Landlubber". He was in the Navy.
We went back to her place and ate CHOCOLATE.